INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

African Aid (Drugs)

Martin Caton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what actions the Government is taking to assist African nations to produce their own generic pharmaceutical drugs.

Hilary Benn: The UK Government are committed to significantly improving access to medicines, both branded and generic, in developing countries. We need to work with others, including our G8 partners, to tackle the issues affecting access if we are to make lasting improvements.
	The factors recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that can improve poor peoples' access to medicines are: affordable pricing, sustainable financing, reliable health and supply systems, and the rational selection and use of existing drugs.
	In line with this, since May 1997, DFID has committed over £1.5 billion since 1997 to support the strengthening of health and supply systems in developing countries, which will help to build capacity to deliver medicines to the poor and to make effective choices about the selection of drugs. The UK has also pledged $280 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). This will help pay for increased access to medicines for the three diseases and some associated health systems strengthening.
	My predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Clare Short) chaired a High Level Working Group on Increasing Access to Essential Medicines in the Developing World, which examined the key factors above in detail. The Working Group made a series of recommendations for action, which are being taking forward by a number of other stakeholders.
	The recent G8 Summit at Evian also secured commitment to action on these issues in line with the Working Group's recommendations.
	With regard to generic production in particular the UK is also engaged in seeking a solution to the outstanding mandate from the Doha Declaration on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public Health—the issue of how countries with insufficient or no manufacturing capacity in the pharmaceutical sector can make effective use of compulsory licensing procedures within the TRIPS Agreement. It is important to find a solution to this issue, both for its own sake and in order to allow the international community to focus on the many other issues affecting access to medicines.
	On the wider question of trade and transfer of technology, within the WTO, the Doha Declaration mandated a new WTO Working Group to examine the relationship between trade and transfer of technology, including possible recommendations on steps that might be taken within the mandate of the WTO to increase flows of technology to developing countries. The UK Government takes the view that as a general rule, the transfer of technology is most effectively facilitated through the provision of open markets and good regulation.

Air Traffic Control System (Tanzania)

Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what reports he has received on whether (a) the military air traffic control system sold by BAe Systems to the Tanzanian Government is in use and (b) a civilian air traffic control system supplied subsequently to Tanzania is now in use.

Hilary Benn: DFID has received information from the Government of Tanzania and the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority that the air traffic control system sold by BAe Systems to them is in use. They have reported that it has dual military and civilian use.

India

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many (a) small, (b) medium and (c) shared loans were provided to poor people in Andhra Pradesh as a result of Departmental programmes in each year since the project began; what the target was for these years; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Access to credit is a critical issue for many poor people in Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere in India, with indebtedness being a major cause and symptom of poverty. Over the last few years, the state government has strongly supported activities in this area, particularly the formation of women's self-help groups. More than 450,000 groups (with membership of around 6 million women) have been established in Andhra Pradesh—the largest number in any state in India. These groups are centred on savings and credit, enabling the members to build up their own savings and to borrow from group funds to cover unexpected expenses eg illness, or as start-up capital for income-earning activities eg purchasing livestock. DFID is supporting this work under the Credit and Small Household Enterprise (CASHE) project, which provides funding to local organisations. The project operates in five of the poorest districts in Andhra Pradesh, and also districts in Orissa and West Bengal. The CASHE project works with around 250,000 groups in Andhra Pradesh, helping to facilitate their establishment and providing training to enable them to operate effectively. The group members keep their own records and make the decisions on the amount and number of loans that will be made from their group savings. No targets are set and no central records are kept of the transactions.

India

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many children have been taken out of labour in Andhra Pradesh as a result of Departmental programmes in each year since the project began; what the targets were for these years; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Andhra Pradesh has one of the highest incidences of child labour in India. Since 2000, DFID has been supporting the International Labour Organisation's Integrated Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC) in the state. This programme works with trades' unions, parents, employers, and non-governmental organisations to build support for eradicating child labour. It works in parallel and as a support to the state government's own efforts to eliminate child labour and to ensure that all children attend school; the government has set universal primary education as a target to be reached by 2005. It is not possible to determine how many children have been taken out of child labour by the ILO-IPEC project and how many from government's own efforts. The government has estimated that combined effect of these actions in 2002 was that almost 500,000 children were taken out of child labour.
	In Andhra Pradesh, the Government of India's District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) includes establishing "bridge" schools for former child labourers. Children attend these schools for around four months with the aim of moving into mainstream schools at the end of the period. DFID is one of the donors supporting DPEP in Andhra Pradesh, providing up to £46.5 million over 9 years.

Sewel Motions

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will list Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since May 1999 that apply to his Department's responsibilities and Government Bills he has sponsored.

Hilary Benn: Of the Bills sponsored by DFID, the International Development Act 2002 was the subject of an International Development Sewel motion in the Scottish Parliament. This Sewel motion received approval on 8 March 2001.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to (a) limit the distances that stock can travel without rest periods and (b) prevent animals from staying overnight at livestock markets; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 20 June 2003
	The Government would prefer animals to be slaughtered near to the point of production and for long distance transport for slaughter to be replaced by a carcase trade. EU Commissioner David Byrne has said that he will shortly bring forward proposals to amend the current rules on animal welfare in transport including maximum permitted journey times and rest periods. Between March and May we consulted on a package of biosecurity measures for the livestock industry including a proposal to prevent animals from staying overnight at livestock markets in England and Wales. We expect to make an announcement shortly.

Varroa

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what aid, including financial assistance, has been provided to bee farmers by her Department to help combat the threat of varroa in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 June 2003
	Combating varroa as been the greatest single challenge to UK beekeeping since the mite was first detected in Devon in 1992. Defra funds a range of bee health measures to assist bee farmers and the beekeeping sector generally, the cost of which has been around £1.3 million in each of the last five years. Under these measures, the National Bee Unit (NBU), part of the Central Science Laboratory, provides a free diagnostic and inspection service to beekeepers in England as well as training and technical advice to help them become more self-reliant through improved bee husbandry. In addition, the NBU has been carrying out routine screening throughout England and Wales for varroa mites that are resistant to authorised treatments, having first detected them in August 2001.

Varroa

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of varroa mite infestation there have been in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the past five years.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 June 2003
	The number of new varroa infestations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in each of the last five years is set out in the following table:
	
		Numbers of new cases of varroa mite infestation: 1999–2003
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(to date) 
		
		
			 England 261 286 38 58 31 
			 Wales 47 15 1 3 1 
			 Scotland 19 10 21 39 31 
			 Northern Ireland 0 0 0 28 2

Dartmoor Ponies

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans there are (a) to mark and register Dartmoor ponies and (b) to prosecute owners of such ponies who neglect their herds; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: There are no plans to introduce a statutory requirement to mark Dartmoor ponies. However, the Government is planning to introduce legislation by the end of 2003 which will require all equines to have an identity passport. Dartmoor ponies, the owners of which hold grazing rights on Dartmoor, will not be required to have a passport until they leave Dartmoor for the purposes of sale, slaughter or veterinary treatment. These animals will be recorded in a list held by the Dartmoor Commoners' Council. The list will record all the details which would be contained in a full passport. We also understand that the Dartmoor Commoners Council will require that each animal is freezebranded.
	The Dartmoor Commoners' Council is responsible for the husbandry and welfare of farm animals and ponies grazing common land in the Dartmoor National Park and for enforcement under the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985.

Energy Conservation

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish the detailed returns received from English energy conservation authorities concerning their performance under the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 during financial year 2000–02; and if she will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in publication.

Ben Bradshaw: Under Section 3 (4) of the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) the Secretary of State is required from time to time to prepare a report on the progress made by English energy conservation authorities in implementing the measures set out in the reports they are required to prepare under Section 2 of the Act. A report on the improvements reported by authorities for the period 1 April 2001–31 March 2002 was published on 1 April 2003 and copies were made available in the House Libraries. Under Section 3 (2) of HECA authorities are required to publish their progress reports.

Food Prices

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average (a) farmgate and (b) retail price was of (i) one kilogramme of (A) cherries, (B) tomatoes, (C) cucumbers, (D) cheese, (E) strawberries, (F) raspberries, (G) blackberries, (H) blackcurrants, (I) redcurrants, (J) butter, (K) pork pies, (L) chicken, (M) smoked salmon and (N) new potatoes, (ii) one pint of (1) cider, (2) English wine, (3) Pimms and (4) yoghurt and (iii) one dozen eggs was in (t) 1975, (u) 1980, (v) 1985, (w) 1990, (x) 1995, (y) 2000 and (z) in 2002 figures.

Ben Bradshaw: Farmgate and retail prices of these foodstuffs, where available, are shown in table 1. Neither farmgate nor retail prices are available for redcurrants, pork pies, smoked salmon, cider, English wine, Pimms or yogurt. Small quantities of butter, cheese and yogurt are sold at the farm gate direct to consumers at retail prices.
	The amount of processing taking place between farmgate and retail varies from commodity to commodity; an indication is given in the table. Farmgate prices include produce destined for highly processed food, which is normally lower quality and sells at a lower price. Changes to the level of processing over time will impact on the trends shown within the table.
	
		Table 1 -- £
		
			  Value 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2002(p) Indication of further processing 
		
		
			 Cherries(1) Farmgate(2) (3)— (3)— 0.77 1.22 1.84 2.57 2.25  
			  Retail (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)—  
			   
			 Tomatoes(1) Farmgate(2) 0.29 0.49 0.49 0.70 0.60 0.75 0.82  
			  Retail(4) (3)— 0.99 1.06 1.43 1.15 1.50 1.40 Packing and grading off farm 
			   
			 Cucumbers(1) Farmgate(2) (3)— (3)— 0.38 0.55 0.77 0.54 (3)—  
			  Retail (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)—  
			   
			 Cheese(1) Farmgate (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)—  
			  Retail(4),(5) 1.01 2.09 2.73 3.31 4.56 5.05 5.24  
			   
			 Strawberries(1) Farmgate(2) (3)— (3)— 1.15 1.36 1.58 2.25 2.65  
			  Retail (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)—  
			   
			 Raspberries(1) Farmgate(2) (3)— (3)— 0.72 0.84 2.56 2.73 4.16  
			  Retail (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)—  
			   
			 Blackcurrants(1) Farmgate(2) (3)— (3)— 0.38 0. 73 1.64 1.11 0.80  
			  Retail (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)—  
			   
			 Butter(1) Farmgate (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)—  
			  Retail(4),(6) (3)— 1.89 2.27 2.48 3.12 3.28 3.08  
			   
			 Chicken(1) Farmgate(2) (3)— (3)— 0.90 0.87 0.84 0.71 0.68  
			  Retail(4),(7) (3)— 1.47 1.77 2.16 2.03 2.23 2.24 Slaughtered 
			   
			 Potatoes(1),(8) Farmgate(2) (3)— (3)— 0.07 0.08 0.16 0.13 0.11  
			  Retail(4) (3)— 0.26 0.42 0.40 0.60 0.70 0.87 Packing and grading off farm 
			   
			 Eggs(9),(10) Farmgate(2) (3)— 0.44 0.48 0.54 0.53 0.53 0.56  
			 Size 2(10) Retail(4) 0.43 0.72 0.99 1.21 1.38 1.68 1.72 Packing and grading off farm 
		
	
	(1) £/kg
	(2) Source: Defra
	(3) Data not available
	(4) Source: ONS
	(5) Cheddar cheese
	(6) Home produced butter; excludes butter imported from Denmark, New Zealand and other countries.
	(7) Fresh chicken; excludes frozen chickens.
	(8) Farmgate values are for earliest potatoes; retail values are for new potatoes.
	(9) Farmgate values are averages values for all eggs; retail values are for size 2 eggs.
	(10) £/dozen

Livestock Farmers

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she proposes to take if livestock farmers do not agree to contribute to a national disposal scheme.

Ben Bradshaw: There was a low response rate of 30 per cent. from livestock farmers to the letter inviting interest in a national scheme. In the light of this disappointing response the Government is now considering whether the scheme should go ahead, and if so in what form.

Market Towns Initiative

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how she estimates the market towns initiative has benefited (a) towns in Lancashire and (b) Carnforth.

Alun Michael: All five towns included in the Market Towns Initiative in Lancashire, including Carnforth, have now completed the Healthcheck process, drawn up action plans, and appointed project managers to take the plans forward. Progress with delivery of outputs varies from town to town. In Carnforth it remains at an early stage.

Rare Animals

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on protecting and promoting rare (a) equine species and (b) farm animals.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 19 June 2003
	Defra produced a comprehensive report on the conservation and sustainable use of the UK's Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR), including equine species, during 2002 for the FAO.
	This UK Country Report on FAnGR contained a number of recommendations for the protection and promotion of British breeds at risk, which were accepted by the Government and the Devolved Administrations.

Common Agricultural Policy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives of unsupported sectors in the run-up to the mid-term review.

Ben Bradshaw: My noble Friend Lord Whitty has had regular discussions on the CAP reform proposals with a range of bodies who represent both supported and unsupported sectors. Officials have also had a number of meetings with those specifically representing unsupported sector interests.

Common Agricultural Policy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the Government's strategy is with regard to its unsupported sectors in the mid-term review;
	(2)  what action she will take to ensure that existing farmers of unsupported crops will not be disadvantaged in relation to farmers of supported crops in the forthcoming CAP mid-term review.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government has explored the implications of the Commission's CAP reform proposals and the desirability of potential amendments with representatives of the unsupported sector. Once the detail of the final agreement is known, we will review the position and consult all sectors of the industry on if and how any national discretion should be exercised.

Renewable Energy

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in the development of renewable energy technologies, including CHP on brownfield sites.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government set out their energy policy, including action to encourage renewable energy and CHP, in their Energy White Paper, "Our energy future—creating a low carbon economy", which we published in February.
	The land use planning system promotes the use of brownfield over greenfield sites whenever possible and appropriate, but makes no distinction as to the type of development which should take place. Decisions to proceed with renewable energy or CHP developments would be made on a commercial basis, and would be subject to the local planning process. Each case should be considered on its merits taking full account of the views of the local population and the various planning and environmental considerations.
	Developers wishing to develop in brownfield areas may be eligible to benefit from the framework of measures already in place to support renewables and CHP. Developers may, depending on the technology in question, apply for funding from our Renewable Energy R&D programme or from capital grants such as the Clear Skies Programme which is specifically targeted at smaller community-based schemes. Once operational, if the installation is using an eligible renewable source, their electrical output will be eligible for inclusion under the Renewables Obligation. The £50 million Community Energy capital grant programme is another incentive for development. This three-year programme aims to increase the development and installation of community heating schemes, mainly based on CHP, across the UK.

DEFENCE

Iraq

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the UK armed forces serving in Iraq are attached to the Iraq Survey Group.

Geoff Hoon: There are some 54 United Kingdom service men and women attached to the Iraq Survey Group. Over the next few weeks the UK contribution of military and civilian personnel will increase to between 90 and 100.
	Investigation into Iraq's programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction remains a high priority for all coalition forces in Iraq. Elements of British forces are committed to this task as part of the Iraq Survey Group. Their priority will be the search for weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the call-up of members of the reserve forces for the conflict in Iraq.

Ivor Caplin: The Government are very grateful to the members of the Reserve Forces who provided support to the military action against Iraq. The use of Reservists to support such operations is fully in line with the Strategic Defence Review, namely having more capable, usable, integrated and relevant reserve forces that support their regular counterparts on operations overseas.
	As previously reported to the House, a call-out order was made on 7 January in support of Operation TELIC. Over 5,000 reservists were accepted into service in sufficient time to be deployed to the region of Iraq before the start of hostilities on 19 March. This was by far the biggest call-out since the 1950s. The call-out procedures worked well. The Reserve Forces produced the necessary manpower and skills. Some served with regular units, helping to bring units from peacetime to war fighting complements, while others served with reserve units.
	Now that the period of combat operations is over, we are withdrawing assets and personnel where possible. However, there is still a need to maintain an appropriate military presence for as long as necessary. Thus, reservists who have a role to play in the stabilisation and rebuilding of Iraq will remain there to complete a six month deployment. In addition, others will continue to be called-out to support these activities.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many interviews with Iraqi personnel thought to have information about weapons of mass destruction have been conducted by coalition forces; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Coalition forces are currently investigating Iraq's programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction, including by debriefing Iraqi prisoners of war, interviews with senior regime figures, and information from other Iraqi military and civilian sources. The breadth of such contacts means that it is not possible to quantify the number of interviews on this subject to date.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many samples of suspected chemical and biological agents have been (a) found and (b) confirmed by coalition forces in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The coalition's extensive investigations into Iraq's weapons of mass destruction are at an early stage. But we are committed to what may be a long process. At the present time, samples of suspected chemical and biological agents are taken by a range of coalition units with data logged by the unit concerned in-theatre. At the appropriate time we will make the evidence public.

International Peacekeeping

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of British forces in international peacekeeping.

Geoff Hoon: The United Kingdom Government remain committed to making the world a safer place. This means maintaining a strong and authoritative United Nations and doing all that is practicable to promote peace, democracy and good governance. Our armed forces are involved in peacekeeping operations throughout the world, for example in the Balkans, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia/Eritrea and Sierra Leone. Acting as a force for good around the world, the UK participates both in peacekeeping operations as formally defined and contributes to other multinational operations that help maintain peace and security.

Army Strength

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many regiments are under strength; and how many vacancies there are.

Ivor Caplin: As at 1 May 2003 whole Army strength (which comprises of United Kingdom trained Army personnel, Gurkhas and full-time reserve staff) stood at 102,430, which represents a shortfall of 4,550 against the current requirement. Recruiting and retention performance during the last 12 months has been particularly encouraging with whole Army strength increasing by over 1,600 personnel.
	Precise information on the details relating to individual regiments is not readily available, however I shall ensure the hon. Member receives the details when the information is available.

Army Strength

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on proposals for future numbers of infantry soldiers.

Adam Ingram: There are no plans to reduce the number of infantry soldiers.

Army Strength

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on proposals to reduce the battalion strength of (a) the Royal Irish Regiment and (b) the Royal Anglians.

Adam Ingram: The Government do not have plans to reduce the battalion strength of the Royal Irish Regiment or the Royal Anglian Regiment.

Gulf Deployment

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are deployed in the Gulf region.

Adam Ingram: As at 20 June, there were 15,598 United Kingdom Servicemen and women deployed in the Gulf region.
	We will continue to review our force levels in the region in the light of the evolving strategic environment to ensure that we maintain an appropriate presence.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about the deployment of British troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Leominster (Mr. Wiggin), at column 702.

Appointments

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the people appointed to ad hoc posts within his Department bearing the titles of advocate, tsar, adviser, champion and comparable titles since May 1997; what their job title is or was; what their role is or was; whether they were or are being paid; what the total cost of each such person was in each financial year, including expenses and benefits; what the expected cost of each such person is in 2003–04; to whom they are accountable; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: Since May 1997 the Secretary of State for Defence has appointed the following special advisers:
	
		
			 Name Date 
		
		
			 Alisdair McGowan from May 1997 to October 2000 
			   
			 Bernard Gray from July 1997 to September 1999 
			   
			 Andrew Hood from December 1999 to May 2001 and, following the General Election, from June 2001 to May 2002 
			   
			 Richard Taylor from January 2001 to May 2001 and, following the General Election, from June 2001 to date 
			   
			 Michael Dugher from September 2002 to date 
		
	
	All of the above are paid appointments. Under Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, details of individual salaries are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned. All the appointees listed above are accountable to Ministers for their decisions and actions.

Biological and Chemical Weapons

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what capability in respect of (a) biological and (b) chemical weapons the UK retains.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom abandoned its offensive biological and chemical warfare programmes in the late 1950s. However, a number of states and terrorist groups have, or want to acquire, such weapons. The UK therefore maintains defensive capabilities against biological and chemical weapons. The UK is fully compliant with its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

Boer War Graves

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 May 2003, Official Report, column 673W, on the Boer War, on what basis the annual contribution was calculated; and what proportion of the total annual spending on the sites this sum represents.

Ivor Caplin: The maintenance of Boer War graves has been the responsibility of the South African Government since 1957. Since that time, the United Kingdom Government have supported the South African authorities in this task through an annual financial contribution. The basis upon which this contribution was originally calculated is not known, although it is clear that it was never intended that it should cover the full cost of maintenance. In recent years, the annual contribution has increased substantially—from £3,100 in 1992 to the current £15,000. The Ministry of Defence holds no information on the total annual spending by the South African authorities on the sites concerned.

Correspondence

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Woking of 21 May 2003, regarding Mr. Paul Connolly, a Gulf War veteran.

Ivor Caplin: I replied to the hon. Member on 17 June 2003.

Missile Defence

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on missile defence signed between the US and United Kingdom on 12 June 2003.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 12 June 2003, Official Report, column 57WS. The details of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) remain confidential between the respective Governments and I am therefore withholding the information in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Nanotechnology

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research his Department has commissioned in the field of nanotechnology.

Ivor Caplin: There is no universally agreed definition of nanotechnology. The term is used to cover a group of sciences and technologies where the dimensions of component parts can be measured in millionths of millimetres. Elements of nanotechnology may be present in many parts of the research programmes.
	We expect nanotechnology will help enhance or improve capabilities such as:
	Chemical and biological agent detection and protective clothing;
	Precision munitions;
	Secure communications; and
	Improved energy efficiency and waste reduction.
	An understanding of nanotechnology is also essential in enabling us to develop effective countermeasures to the application of nanotechnology.
	The following programmes relating to nanotechnology are funded in the Corporate Research Programme (CRP):
	Semi-Conductor Wires and Dots;
	Quantum Coherent Electronic devices;
	Molecular electronics;
	Single Photon sources;
	Nanophotonics;
	Dendritic polymers as Chemical Warfare Agent Protective materials;
	Development of nano-scale metallic materials;
	Hydrogen storage in Carbon nano stacks; and
	Carbon nano-tubes for military applications.
	To help us maintain an awareness of the overall field of nanotechnology, the MOD has jointly funded, with the Department of Trade and Industry and three of the UK Research Councils (the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Medical Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council), the establishment of two Interdisciplinary Research Centres in nanotechnology. These are being led from the Oxford and Cambridge Universities and are Biological and Physical science-based respectively.
	Nanotechnology is also a major element of around 10 per cent. of the Joint Grant scheme projects, which are jointly funded by MOD and the Research Councils. Projects are currently under way at a wide range of universities and include Cambridge, Exeter, Imperial College London, Loughborough, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Salford, Sheffield and Surrey.

Naval Gunfire Support Training

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what locations naval gunfire support training takes place.

Ivor Caplin: Shore-based, simulated training for the Royal Navy is undertaken at the Maritime Warfare School, based at HMS Collingwood and HMS Dryad, both near Portsmouth. In addition, there are four United Kingdom-based sea ranges as follows:
	Cape Wrath (north Scotland)—sea to land range firings;
	Dodman Point (off Plymouth)—buoy firing;
	Wembury Point (off Plymouth)—buoy firing; and
	St. Alban's Head (off Dorset coast)—buoy firing.
	There are also a number of Notified Danger Sea Areas around the UK (mostly in the English Channel), within which non-explosive firings take place against a floating target which is recovered on completion.

Nuclear Weapons

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the occasions on which his Department has held discussions with US officials about nuclear weapons during the last two years; and what aspects of nuclear weaponry were discussed on each occasion.

Ivor Caplin: A wide range of officials in the Ministry of Defence have discussions with United States officials on nuclear weapon related subjects under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement. Information on the number of occasions when such discussions have taken place during the last two years, and the subjects discussed, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Royal Irish Regiment

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 5 June 2003, Official Report, column 509W, on the Royal Irish Regiment, if he will make it his policy not to set a timetable for the disbandment of the Home Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment until the terrorist threat has been completely removed from Northern Ireland.

Adam Ingram: Until significant progress has been made towards normalisation as described in the Joint Declaration, it would be premature to come to any conclusions on the final composition of the Northern Ireland garrison.

Defence Equipment Sales

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, 
	(1)  how many (a) requests have been received by DESO from UK companies for special commissions to be paid on sale of defence equipment since 1990 and (b) special commissions that DESO has approved since 1990; and if he will list (i) the countries in which these special commissions were to be paid and (ii) the amount to be paid;
	(2)  in which year the requirement was introduced for UK companies to seek permission from DESO in order to make special commissions on defence equipment sales.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

War Pensions

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the savings to public funds that would flow from his proposed change to the burden of proof for the war pensions scheme.

Ivor Caplin: If Ministers were to accept the proposals arising from the reviews, it is expected that the new scheme would be broadly cost-neutral. However, there would be a better focus of resources on the more severely disabled whose earning capacity had been significantly affected. Those whose conditions were not expected to affect significantly their earnings capacity would receive a lump sum payment rather than a pension, but their cases would be reviewed if, exceptionally, there was a significant and unexpected level of deterioration that affected this judgment.

War Pensions

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what kinds of illnesses, at present accepted under the burden of proof for the war pensions scheme, would cease to be accepted under his proposed changes; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The proposals arising from the reviews of the Armed Forces Pension and Compensation arrangements are currently under consideration by Ministers. Illnesses or injuries would only fail to be accepted under the new scheme proposals where, on a balance of probabilities standard of proof, they were considered not to be caused or significantly aggravated by Service. The Department's decisions on claims would be subject to appeal to an independent tribunal.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Funding (Liverpool)

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding has been made available for arts in Liverpool in each of the last three years; and what it is expected to receive in the current year.

Estelle Morris: holding answer 17 June 2003
	The following table, supplied by Arts Council England contains the detail for revenue and lottery funding for regularly funded arts organisations (RFOs) in Liverpool. It does not include one-off and project funds. The figures for 2004–05 and 2005–06 are projected figures taken from the allocations announced for RFOs in March this year.
	
		
			 Year Grant-in-aid (£s) Lottery (£s) 
		
		
			 2000–01 4,297,936 558,130 
			 2001–02 4,885,342 1,014,156 
			 2002–03 4,452,667 544,679 
			 2003–04 5,088,990 (11)— 
			 2004–05 projected 5,755,739  
			 2005–06 projected 6,290,511  
		
	
	(11) Not applicable

Royal Household

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps are in place to ensure that the taxpayer receives good value for money from the sum allocated to the grant-in-aid.

Estelle Morris: The amount of the grant-in-aid has reduced from £23.9 million to £15.4 million over the past 12 years, a reduction in real terms of 60 per cent. This indicates the Royal Household's overall aim of achieving best value for money.
	As part of the Department's agreement with the Royal Household they are required to provide regular reports on grant-in-aid expenditure on the Royal Palaces; these include a 5-year plan and an annual plan. Quarterly update reports are issued by the Household to the Department commenting on expenditure against the annual plan. These are subject to review by the Department's officials and an independent auditor commissioned by the Department.
	All major building contracts are let by competitive tender.

Seaside Regeneration

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of delays in the introduction of new gambling legislation on the regeneration of seaside resorts in the North West.

Richard Caborn: We have made no such assessment and remain committed to bringing legislative proposals forward as soon as Parliamentary time permits.

Sustainable Development

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what remit relating to sustainable development is required by her Department's (a) executive agencies, (b) advisory non-departmental bodies, (c) executive non-departmental bodies, (d) tribunals, (e) public corporations and (f) other bodies.

Richard Caborn: DCMS has over 60 sponsored bodies including one executive agency (Royal Parks) and two public corporations (BBC and Channel Four). The role of the Department in respect of all environmental matters is to ensure that Government targets are made known to autonomous sponsored bodies and to offer guidance and encouragement towards achievement of agreed targets. It is not the Department's role to direct the way in which sponsored bodies are managed but many, such as the Royal Parks Agency and the National Science Museum, are proactive and take a leading role in sustainability and biodiversity. In the Greening Government First Annual Report a commitment was made to have Cabinet Office NDPB guidance revised to include the requirement for departments to encompass Sustainable Development into the remit of any newly created NDPB. This was done and reported in the Greening Government Second Annual Report.

York Minster

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Heritage Lottery Fund has contributed to York Minster Library; for what purpose this grant was made; and if she will place in the Library a copy of (a) the Minster's grant application and (b) the Lottery Fund's decision on it.

Estelle Morris: In 1996 the HLF awarded a grant of £967,000 to the Dean and Chapter of York Minster to extend the library to balance the 13th century chapel. The application form and supporting papers contain information that would be considered exempt from disclosure under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and therefore it would not be appropriate to place these in the House of Commons Library. The Heritage Lottery fund is writing to the hon. Member in more detail regarding this award. I will place in the Library of the House a copy of the minute detailing the Heritage Lottery Fund's decision.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Advertising Campaigns

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost is of the advertising campaign "Those Who Can, Teach".

David Miliband: The cost of the Teacher Training Agency's advertising campaign "Those Who Can, Teach" was about £5.6 million in 2001–02 and about £8 million in 2002–03. It has contributed to a 13 per cent. rise in recruitment to initial teacher training over the last two years and record numbers of applications from graduates for teacher training next year.
	The campaign has been successful in achieving a high level of awareness among the target audience of students (71 per cent.) and career changers (61 per cent.). In each year of the campaign, calls to the Teaching Information Line (TIL) have numbered around 300,000, with half of these registering their interest in becoming a teacher at some point.

School Budget Deficit (Suffolk)

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget deficit is for schools in Suffolk in the current financial year.

David Miliband: Information on school balances is published annually by local education authorities. Data for balances carried forward into the year beginning 1 April 2003 are due to be published by 9 October 2003. As at 31 March 2002, schools in Suffolk had collective surplus balances of £17.799 million.

Child Care

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the average cost of full-time child care in Buckingham; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The cost of child care reported in the Department for Education and Skills 2001–02 audit shows average costs for Buckinghamshire, the LEA within which Buckingham falls, of £146 per week for full day care. The audits were completed for each local authority by their respective Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships. The audits do not give a further breakdown by constituency.
	Working parents, subject to the level of their income, may receive support through the child care element of the working tax credit. Tax credits are targeted at lower and middle income families who may use a range of types of child care. The child care element of the working tax credit provides for up to 70 per cent. of costs of eligible child care. It can pay up to £94.50 a week for one child (where the child care cost is £135 or above), and up to £140 a week for two or more children (where the cost is £200).
	No Government has provided the kind of direct support for the costs of child care that is delivered by the child care element of the working tax credit. £1 million a day is now spent on supporting parents with child care costs.
	The DfES and the Inland Revenue will continue to monitor the cost of child care to ensure good quality, affordable and accessible child care is available for all those who need it.

Child Care

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many (a) nurseries, (b) playgroups, (c) childminders, (d) out of school clubs and (e) holiday schemes there were in (i) Leeds metropolitan district and (ii) the Leeds West constituency for each year since 1990.

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested. The available information for Leeds local authority is shown in the tables.
	Figures for 2001 and earlier years for England and Government Office regions were published in DfES Statistical Bulletin 08/01 "Children's Day Care Facilities at 31 March 2001", which is available in the Library and on the DfES website, www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics. Figures for 2001 for out of school clubs and holiday schemes have recently been revised and are shown in the tables.
	
		Numbers of day care providers(12) by type of provider: Leeds local authority area: 1998–2001
		
			 Position at 31 March each year 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Day Nurseries 90 100 120 110 
			 Childminders 1,400 1,200 1,200 1,200 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools 240 190 130 120 
			 Out of school clubs 100 110 120 120 
			 Holiday schemes 140 400 200 510 
		
	
	(12) Figures have been rounded.
	(13) Includes those schemes exempt from registration.
	
		Numbers of day care places(14) by type of provider: Leeds local authority area: 1998–2001
		
			 Position at 31 March each year 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Day Nurseries 3,500 3,900 5,100 4,400 
			 Childminders 5,400 4,700 5,300 4,700 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools 4,900 4,200 3,200 3,000 
			 Out of school clubs 2,800 2,300 2,700 2,600 
			 Holiday schemes 3,800 12,400 5,500 8,400 
		
	
	(14) Figures have been rounded.
	(15) Includes those schemes exempt from registration.

Child Care

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local authorities (a) have and (b) do not have reciprocal arrangements with other local authorities to pay for (i) nursery and (ii) child care facilities.

Margaret Hodge: This information is not collected centrally.
	Although the Department actively encourages reciprocal arrangements, decisions about cross-border funding can realistically be taken only at local level so that proper account can be taken of local needs and circumstances. By April 2004, six months ahead of schedule, all three-year-olds will have access to a free early education place irrespective of where they live.

Children's Centres

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many children's centres have opened in each year since 1997; where they are located; what links they have with pre-school learning in disadvantaged areas; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what funding and technical support has been made available for establishing and running children's centres; and what plans he has to improve co-operation with local Sure Start programme plans.

Margaret Hodge: In the 2002 Spending Review Settlement the Government announced plans to reach, by March 2006, at least 650,000 pre-school children living in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged wards in England through integrated children's centres. We are making available £435 million over the next three years to achieve this. The children's centres will provide integrated care and early education for young children together with health and family support services.
	These centres are intended to bring together and build on the practice learned from other initiatives. This means that, where possible, they will develop from Sure Start local programmes and other existing services such as Early Excellence Centres and Neighbourhood Nurseries.
	Guidance was issued to eligible local authorities in February 2003 on developing strategic plans for developing their children's centres. Since then, regional Sure Start teams based in the Government Offices have been providing support and advice on how to put these plans together.
	The first centres to be named children's centres will be announced in June 2003. These early designations will be existing settings that already meet the core offer for children's centres now. They will provide models to guide the development of new services. Local authorities are due to submit their strategic plans by 15 October 2003 and we expect further announcements to follow throughout the autumn.

Criminal Records Bureau

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the letters his Department has received from Essex County Council regarding the Criminal Records Bureau over the last six months, and the dates of his replies.

David Miliband: The Chair of Essex's Education Committee raised issues about the Criminal Records Bureau at the North of England Education Conference in January. I wrote to the Leader of the Council about those on 21 January and, subsequently, to the Chair of the Education Committee in response to an enquiry from her dated 29 January. The Leader of the Council acknowledged my letter on 18 February.

Early Years Education

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what percentage of three-year-olds have access to early years education in (a) rural areas and (b) urban areas;
	(2)  what percentage of three-year-olds have access to early years education in north Shropshire.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 3 June 2003
	The information is not available in the form requested.
	In January 2002, 98 per cent. of three-year-old children in Shropshire received early years education in a private, voluntary, independent, special or maintained establishment.
	In every local education authority area, there is an early education place for every four-year-old whose parents want one in either the maintained, private or voluntary sector. We have made the commitment that by April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three-year-olds whose parents want one, will have access to a free, part-time early education place.
	The latest local authority figures on early year's education in England were published in the Departments Statistical Bulletin 08/2002 "Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2002" in December 2002. An electronic copy of which is available in the Library and on the DfES website, www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.

Further Education Funding Council

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Further Education Funding Council published its final accounts; from where copies can be obtained; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The Further Education Funding Council's accounts for 2000–01, its final year of operation, were laid before Parliament on 24 July 2002 and published by the Stationery Office on 10 April 2003. Copies are available from the Stationery Office.
	The delay in finalising the FEFC's accounts was due to the complexities of winding up a large NDPB and arranging for the redeployment of the organisation's assets.

Independent Schools

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of children of compulsory school age in each local education authority area attended independent schools in each of the last five years.

David Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Learning and Skills Council

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Learning and Skills Council published their Annual Accounts; whether these were published on schedule; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The first Annual Report and Accounts of the Learning and Skills Council, to 31 March 2002, were laid before Parliament on 8 April 2003 and were subsequently published by The Stationery Office. This timetable was in accordance with the Learning and Skills Act 2000.
	The Act also requires that the LSC send copies of its statement of accounts to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and the Comptroller and Auditor General before the end of August following the financial year to which the statement relates. The LSC's statement of accounts was delivered on 29 November 2002.
	The LSC agreed with the Comptroller and Auditor General that they would deliver their accounts to a revised timetable to provide time for FE colleges to deliver assurances on the proper use of LSC funds.

Minister for Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the responsibilities of the Minister for Children which have been transferred from the Department of Health; and what matters concerning child protection have not been transferred.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 19 June 2003
	Responsibility has been transferred from the Department of Health for social services policy for children, and for policy relating to teenage pregnancy. The transfer of social services policy responsibilities includes child protection policy. However all staff working with children have a role in keeping children safe, including staff in the NHS. The Department of Health will have responsibility for child protection matters in so far as they relate specifically to health services, working in close co-operation with the Department for Education and Skills.

National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much revenue funding will be allocated to support implementation of the National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06;
	(2)  how much each (a) secondary school and (b) primary school in the country will receive as a result of extra revenue funding to support implementation of the National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload in (i) 2003–04, (ii) 2004–05 and (iii) 2005–06;
	(3)  how the extra revenue funding for supporting implementation of the National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload will be distributed to schools;
	(4)  what support will be given to those schools with a deficit budget in their implementation of the National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload.

David Miliband: The agreement is about making better use of the existing £25 billion which is spent each year on schools as well as deploying extra resources cost effectively. The overall increase in funding for schools and local education authorities is £2.7 billion in 2003–04. Our plans allow for a further increase of £1.4 billion between this year and 2004–05 and a subsequent increase of £2.1 billion in 2005–06. The amounts available to individual primary and secondary schools up and down the country to support the agreement will inevitably vary according to a number of factors, including pupil numbers, teachers' pay and the way in which school budgets are determined. For 2004–05, we are working with representatives of schools and local education authorities (which will consider the position of schools with licensed deficit budgets) to ensure that every school receives a reasonable per pupil settlement.

Online Information Services

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what online information services for young people receive funding from his Department; and what the level of funding is for each service.

Stephen Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills funds Connexions Direct, a telephone helpline and internet service for 13–19 year olds at a cost of £2.2 million in 2003–04. Connexions Direct complements the face to face delivery of services provided by local Connexions partnerships by offering remote information, advice and support to young people on a wide range of issues that constitute barriers to learning.
	The Connexions Direct website currently provides a range of information for young people. To enhance this, the Department has commissioned Ufl to produce a single national course database covering post 16 learning opportunities. The funding for this is £100,000 in 2003–04.
	The Department is also leading on the development of a customer-focused, cross-Government young people's internet portal, which aims to provide easy access to everything young people want and need to know on the web, from Government and non-Government sources. The portal is due to be launched in September 2003, and the budget for 2003–04 is £163,000.
	In addition, the Department supports websites providing targeted information for young people. The Children and Young People's Unit (CYPU) website provides information for 0–19 year olds on various aspects of the Unit's work ranging from the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child to the Youth Advisory Forum. The budget for 2003–04 is £600,000. CYPU is also contributing to the development of the Youth Portal. The Connexions Card website provides information for young people aged 16–19 on the benefits of using the card. The budget for 2003–04 is £200,000.

PR Campaigns

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 12 June to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale West, what individual public relations campaigns his Department undertook in 2002–03 with a cost of more than £100,000; and what the actual cost was of each of those campaigns.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 20 June 2003
	The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Campaign Cost (£) 
		
		
			 Foundation Degrees 240,000 
			 Connexions 336,000 
			 Aimhigher 186,400 
			 UK Online Centres 131,274 
			 Adult Basic Skills 'Get On' 222,580 
			 Dads and Sons 120,637

School Budgets (Leicestershire)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money each (a) secondary and (b) primary school in Southend West has been given for financial year 2003–04; and what each school originally budgeted.

David Miliband: My Department collects information according to local education authority areas. Information provided by the authority on how much each primary and secondary school in Southend-on- Sea LEA has been given is contained in the table.
	
		£
		
			  Total budget share including standards fund devolved Total budget(16) share per pupil 
		
		
			 Primary Schools   
			 Barons Court Infant School and Nursery 419,887 3,043 
			 Blenheim Primary School 1,102,447 2,412 
			 Bournemouth Park Infant School and Nursery 317,565 2,656 
			 Bournemouth Park Junior School 247,708 2,844 
			 Bournes Green Infant School 438,511 2,436 
			 Bournes Green Junior School 632,491 2,144 
			 Chalkwell Hall Infant School 720,186 2,294 
			 Chalkwell Hall Junior School 870,372 2,102 
			 Darlinghurst Primary and Nursery School 839,448 2,351 
			 Earls Hall Infant School 622,022 2,304 
			 Earls Hall Junior School 763,803 2,140 
			 Eastwood Infant and Nursery Foundation School 489,918 2,707 
			 Eastwood Junior School 533,096 2,380 
			 Edwards Hall Infant School 478,481 2,441 
			 Edwards Hall Junior School 610,647 2,173 
			 Fairways Primary School 1,298,844 3,035 
			 Friars Infant School and Nursery 713,822 2,714 
			 Friars Junior School 695,101 2,348 
			 Hamstel Infant School 956,786 2,447 
			 Hamstel Junior School 1,092,853 2,267 
			 Heycroft Primary School 934,846 2,101 
			 Hinguar Community Primary School 682,134 2,266 
			 Leigh Infant School 623,477 2,301 
			 Leigh North Street Junior School 767,866 2,169 
			 Located at Bournemouth Park Road Southends on Sea 772,094 2,669 
			 Located at Richmond Avenue Shoeburyness Essex 584,122 2,542 
			 Milton Hall Primary School 1,250,844 2,507 
			 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School 892,591 2,066 
			 Porters Grange Primary School and Nursery 1,585,661 2,792 
			 Prince Avenue Primary Foundation School and Nursery 965,601 2,327 
			 Richmond Avenue Junior School 207,057 2,460 
			 Richmond Infants' and Nursery School 212,203 2,653 
			 Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery 545,212 2,381 
			 St.George's Catholic Primary School 459,969 2,300 
			 St. Helen's Catholic Primary School 539,370 2,366 
			 St. Mary"s, Prittlewell, CofE Primary School 893,168 2,142 
			 Temple Sutton Primary School 1,701,396 2,290 
			 The Westborough Primary School and Nursery 1,622,350 2,304 
			 Thorpe Greenways Infant School 820,648 2,318 
			 Thorpe Greenways Junior School 1,004,056 2,155 
			 Thorpedene Infants' School 711,061 2,504 
			 Thorpedene Junior School 820,322 2,254 
			 West Leigh Infant School 783,281 2,182 
			 West Leigh Junior School 1,048,240 2,047 
			
			 Secondary Schools   
			 Belfairs High School 4,036,467 3,790 
			 Cecil Jones High School 4,833,618 3,656 
			 Prittlewell Technology College 3,240,180 3,418 
			 Shoeburyness High School 4,706,349 3,683 
			 Southend High School for Boys 2,779,850 4,257 
			 Southend High School for Girls 2,899,817 4,033 
			 St. Bernard's High School 2,465,958 3,444 
			 St. Thomas More High School for Boys 2,741,156 3,781 
			 The Eastwood School (11–18) 2,471,304 3,409 
			 The Thorpe Bay School 2,292,836 3,809 
			 Westcliff High School for Boys 3,149,991 4,123 
			 Westcliff High School for Girls 3,153,843 4,205 
		
	
	(16) Per capita share or pupil unit cost for each school is calculated by dividing the actual budget share by the number of pupils or places for the school (adjusted for schools open for part of the year only).
	Notes:1. The data was drawn from section 52 (Table 1) budget statements for 2003–04 which LEAs submit to the DfES.
	2. The data is provisional as at 9 June 2003 and is subject to basic validation and is likely to change.

School Buildings

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much additional capital funding will be allocated to support the changes to school buildings which may be needed to provide facilities for the additional support staff needed to implement the National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06.

David Miliband: Overall capital investment is set to rise from £3.8 billion this year to over £5 billion in 2005–06. Much of this capital investment is delivered to local authorities by formula and in accordance with their local asset management processes. It is, therefore, up to local authorities to decide on their priorities in consultation with local schools. In addition, from 2005–06, we will be rolling out the proposed Building Schools for the Future programme, details of which will be announced shortly. In the meantime, we have also invested £50 million over the two years 2002–03 and 2003–04, specifically to address school workforce issues. This funding was allocated by formula to all local education authorities for them to address their priority needs in accommodating Schools' Workforce.

School Funding

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how schools who have been allowed to use devolved capital for revenue purposes in order to set a balanced budget for 2003–04 will be compensated by his Department in subsequent years.

David Miliband: holding answer 19 June 2003
	On 15 May 2003, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced that in response to exceptional pressures this year on some school budgets he has decided to help schools manage their budgets by allowing them, in discussion with their Local Education Authorities (LEAs), to use their devolved capital funding to support their day-to-day running costs. This is to be for this year only and must be a decision taken by the school with the agreement of the LEA.
	On 16 May 2003, my Department made detailed guidance available to schools and to LEAs to enable them immediately to discuss locally where this capital flexibility can be used. This guidance makes clear that schools which seek to use this flexibility would irrevocably forego their capital allocation. They would, therefore, lose the benefits over the longer term of the capital investment in their school buildings to pupil standards. This flexibility has an opportunity cost, and should only be used where failure to do so would lead to excessive instability within the school. We did not intend to increase the total funding available to any school.
	My Department is working with representatives of local government and schools to consider what changes to the schools funding system are needed from 2004–05 to ensure that every school receives a reasonable per pupil settlement next year.

School Funding

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total central Government funding for schools in Lancashire was in each year since 1995.

David Miliband: The following table shows the total education standard spending assessment (ESSA), recurrent and capital funding allocated to Lancashire Local Education Authority between 1997–98 and 2002–03, the years for which data is available on a like-for-like basis. The Department allocates funding for schools at local education authority level without specifying separate amounts for schools.
	
		Lancashire Local Education Authority -- £ million
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 ESSA 405 445 468 493 510 516 
			 Recurrent Grant 18 10 21 49 70 95 
			 Capital Funding 13 17 35 38 30 44 
			 Total 436 472 524 580 610 655

School Technicians

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what plans he has to introduce a career structure for school technicians in (a) secondary and (b) further education recognised throughout England;
	(2)  if he will introduce a national pay scale for school technicians to over-ride local education authority restrictions, and be recognised as a minimum standard by establishment heads;
	(3)  what representations he has received on introducing national levels of pay commensurate with experience, qualifications and responsibilities for school technicians; and from whom.

David Miliband: holding answer 17 June 2003
	My Department has received a number of representations which propose the introduction of a career structure and national pay scales for school support staff, including science technicians.
	Since the Royal Society (RS) and Association for Science Education (ASE) published their report on January 2002 we have been working closely with them and with the Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services (CLEAPSS) to develop a career structure for science technicians. The work is being taken forward in consultation with the wider scientific community and will take account also of broader advice on school support staff roles being produced by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services. We are aiming to publish guidance this autumn.
	As part the Government's investment and reform strategy for further education and training, the new DfES Standards Unit will be trialling best-practice teaching and learning materials and teacher training in Level 3 biology, chemistry and physics this summer. The trials will lead to larger scale pilots from September and will give a real boost to science teaching and to the vital support work by science technicians.
	The Government's position on pay remains that the terms and conditions of employment of school support staff including science technicians are best determined locally, in light of local needs and circumstances. This means that local arrangements can reflect the fact that, for example, the duties and responsibilities of technicians vary widely between schools. The National Agreement on Raising Standards on Tackling Workload, signed by the Government, local authority employers and school workforce unions on 15 January this year, will improve training and career progression opportunities for support staff and makes clear that we expect their pay to reflect their level of training, skills and responsibilities.

Schools (Service Personnel)

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what representations he has received about (a) falling rolls and (b) shortfall in funding to schools attended by children of Service personnel, caused by delays in transferring regiments; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make specific funding available to schools attended by children of Service personnel whose rolls have been reduced because of delays in transferring regiments; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will provide additional core funding for schools attended by children of Service personnel to assist with (a) turbulence and (b) other factors; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Two schools in Colchester wrote to the Secretary of State in March 2003 about funding issues for schools with a large proportion of pupils who are children of Service personnel. There is no need for specific or additional funding from central Government for such schools. The Regulations which govern local education authority funding formulae for schools permit the use of factors which give extra funding for high turbulence levels, or compensation for significant falls in numbers on roll. The Essex formula for school funding already has a turbulence factor. If the schools believe this to be inadequate, they should seek reconsideration at local level, perhaps through the Essex schools forum.

Specialist Schools

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 784W, on specialist status schools, if he will make a statement on the variation in the average capped GCSE/GNVQ point scores among pupils attending (a) languages colleges, (b) sports colleges, (c) arts colleges and (d) technology colleges.

David Miliband: In 2002, specialist schools outperformed non-specialist schools where the GCSE capped average point score was considered. When considering the individual specialist subjects, technology colleges had the highest average point score of the four specialisms. Technology, language and arts colleges all performed above the non-specialist average. The performance of sports colleges was slightly below the non-specialist average.

Specialist Schools

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 11 June 2003, Official Report, column 885W, on education initiatives, if he will list those non-selective specialist schools that are not defined as mainstream.

David Miliband: The list of non-selective, non-mainstream specialist schools (ie special schools) is as follows.
	
		
			 Special schools Area Subject 
		
		
			 Fox Hollies School Birmingham Arts 
			 Arbour Vale Special School Slough Sports 
			 Calthorpe Special School Birmingham Sports 
			 Westcroft Special School Wolverhampton Sports 
			 Abbey Hill School Stockton on Tees Technology 
			 Alder Grange High School Lancashire Technology(17) 
			 Beaumont Hill School Darlington Technology 
			 Blackfriars Special School Staffordshire Technology 
			 Crosshill Special School Blackburn with Darwen Technology 
			 Marshfields School City of Peterborough Technology(17) 
			 West Oaks School Leeds Technology 
			 Westfield Technology College Dorset Technology 
		
	
	(17) From September 2003

Specialist Schools

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary schools in North East Lincolnshire have applied for specialist status; and how many have been successful in their applications.

David Miliband: There have been seven applications for specialist school status received from seven schools in North East Lincolnshire LEA since the programme started in 1994. Four schools currently have specialist status: The Lindsey School, Toll Bar School and the Hereford School, which has joint specialist status with Western School.

Student Finance

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate outstanding student loan liabilities (a) currently and (b) in each of the next five calendar years, on the assumption of (i) current participation and policies and (ii) expansion of numbers at one per cent. per annum and introduction of top-up fees at (A) 50 per cent. and (B) 100 per cent. of potential total income.

Alan Johnson: The total amount of debt outstanding at the end of financial year 2001–02 was £10,015 million. Of this total debt, £1,621 million was privately owned mortgage style debt. £8,394 million of the debt was publicly owned, and includes both mortgage style and income contingent loans. The debt outstanding includes loans issued but not yet due for repayment.
	The information on future estimates is not available without disproportionate cost. Future loan liabilities will depend on a wide range of factors, including: the number and composition of students who enter higher education; the proportion of students who take up a loan; the amount of loan they take out; subsequent graduate earnings and hence future repayments; and the rate of inflation (which affects the nominal value of outstanding debt). After 2006–07, loan liabilities will also depend on the fee levels charged by universities of their full time undergraduates, and the extent to which those students exercise the new option to defer those.

Sure Start

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to extend the number of deprived wards eligible to receive sure start financial support.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer22 May2003
	The Sure Start Unit was allocated funding in the 2002 spending review to establish children's centres to serve 650,000 children living in the most disadvantaged wards in the country. The Government's longer term aim is to establish children's centres services for all children living in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged wards. Sure Start also funds local authorities, in all areas, to create, support and sustain good quality childcare provision through the Early Years and Childcare Grant.

Teacher Redundancies

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the total number of teachers were made redundant in each of the last 10 years in England.

David Miliband: Definitive figures are not collected centrally.

Teachers' Pay

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average teacher's salary in each local education authority in England was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Miliband: The table shows the average annual salary of full-time regular qualified teachers in the maintained sector in England by LEA at 31/3/2001. This is the latest information available. Figures cover all grades and include any allowances paid. The figures are provisional.
	The average salary figures include some threshold payments that were made before March 2001, following the introduction of the threshold in September 2000. Some threshold assessments were not made in time for the associated payments to be reflected in the March 2001 data, but these were ultimately backdated to September 2000. As a result the figures in the table will be an under estimate of the actual average salary in March 2001.
	
		
			  Average salary (£s) 
		
		
			 City of London 28,260 
			 Camden 31,140 
			 Greenwich 29,270 
			 Hackney 27,890 
			 Hammersmith 30,560 
			 Islington 29,630 
			 Kensington and Chelsea (18)— 
			 Lambeth (18)— 
			 Lewisham 30,400 
			 Southwark 30,320 
			 Tower Hamlets 30,260 
			 Wandsworth 28,950 
			 Westminster 28,860 
			 Barking 29,210 
			 Barnet 28,540 
			 Bexley 27,760 
			 Brent 30,160 
			 Bromley 28,530 
			 Croydon 32,930 
			 Ealing 28,940 
			 Enfield 28,340 
			 Haringey 29,850 
			 Harrow 28,700 
			 Havering 29,020 
			 Hillingdon 28,190 
			 Hounslow 28,250 
			 Kingston upon Thames (18)— 
			 Merton 29,560 
			 Newham 29,050 
			 Redbridge 29,690 
			 Richmond upon Thames 28,100 
			 Sutton (18)— 
			 Waltham Forest 29,080 
			 Birmingham 27,260 
			 Coventry 27,670 
			 Dudley 26,940 
			 Sandwell 26,990 
			 Solihull 25,130 
			 Walsall 26,640 
			 Wolverhampton 27,370 
			 Knowsley 26,820 
			 Liverpool 26,270 
			 St Helens 27,490 
			 Sefton 27,030 
			 Wirral 27,610 
			 Bolton 27,060 
			 Bury 27,500 
			 Manchester 27,200 
			 Oldham 26,900 
			 Rochdale 27,090 
			 Salford 25,280 
			 Stockport 27,180 
			 Tameside 27,070 
			 Trafford 27,270 
			 Wigan 27,470 
			 Barnsley 26,690 
			 Doncaster 27,350 
			 Rotherham 27,270 
			 Sheffield (18)— 
			 Bradford 27,000 
			 Calderdale 26,970 
			 Kirklees 27,400 
			 Leeds 27,400 
			 Wakefield 26,740 
			 Gateshead 26,750 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 26,830 
			 North Tyneside 27,020 
			 South Tyneside 27,150 
			 Sunderland 27,100 
			 Isles of Scilly 27,000 
			 Bath and NE Somerset (18)— 
			 City of Bristol 26,500 
			 North Somerset 26,930 
			 South Gloucestershire 26,540 
			 Hartlepool 26,780 
			 Middlesbrough 27,230 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 26,930 
			 Stockton on Tees 26,960 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 27,240 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 27,210 
			 North East Lincolnshire 27,230 
			 North Lincolnshire 27,160 
			 North Yorkshire 26,470 
			 York 26,960 
			 Bedfordshire 27,000 
			 Luton 26,980 
			 Buckinghamshire 27,080 
			 Milton Keynes 26,720 
			 Derbyshire 27,370 
			 City of Derby 26,570 
			 Dorset 27,010 
			 Poole 26,840 
			 Bournemouth 27,210 
			 Durham 26,740 
			 Darlington 25,350 
			 East Sussex 27,030 
			 Brighton and Hove 27,020 
			 Hampshire 26,810 
			 Portsmouth 26,730 
			 Southampton 26,260 
			 Leicestershire 27,040 
			 Leicester City (18)— 
			 Rutland 27,380 
			 Staffordshire 26,740 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 26,640 
			 Wiltshire 25,740 
			 Swindon 26,020 
			 Bracknell Forest 27,790 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 27,800 
			 West Berkshire 26,280 
			 Reading (18)— 
			 Slough 25,650 
			 Wokingham 26,870 
			 Cambridgeshire 26,340 
			 City of Peterborough 26,420 
			 Cheshire 26,850 
			 Halton 27,080 
			 Warrington 26,780 
			 Devon 27,140 
			 City of Plymouth 27,250 
			 Torbay (18)— 
			 Essex 27,600 
			 Southend 27,540 
			 Thurrock 27,240 
			 Herefordshire 26,980 
			 Worcestershire 27,010 
			 Kent 27,150 
			 Medway (18)— 
			 Lancashire 27,340 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 26,240 
			 Blackpool 26,670 
			 Nottinghamshire 27,500 
			 City of Nottingham 26,920 
			 Shropshire 27,430 
			 Telford and Wrekin 27,400 
			 Cornwall 27,120 
			 Cumbria 27,130 
			 Gloucestershire 26,710 
			 Hertfordshire 25,340 
			 Isle of Wight 26,560 
			 Lincolnshire 26,930 
			 Norfolk 27,250 
			 Northamptonshire 26,670 
			 Northumberland 26,800 
			 Oxfordshire 27,100 
			 Somerset 27,400 
			 Suffolk 26,590 
			 Surrey 25,740 
			 Warwickshire 27,030 
			 West Sussex 26,860 
		
	
	Source:Database of Teacher Records
	(18)— not availableLEAs are shown as not available where more than 30 per cent. of teacher records are not available.

TRANSPORT

A49 Accidents

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatal and (b) non-fatal road accidents there have been on the A49 between Ludlow and Shrewsbury in each year since 1992.

David Jamieson: The following table provides the figures provided by West Mercia police.
	
		
			  Fatal Serious Slight Total 
		
		
			 1992 5 15 35 55 
			 1993 4 10 29 43 
			 1994 4 16 30 50 
			 1995 3 12 25 40 
			 1996 3 7 35 45 
			 1997 4 5 27 36 
			 1998 0 11 25 36 
			 1999 0 5 35 40 
			 2000 1 8 22 31 
			 2001 2 4 31 37 
			 2002 4 8 23 35 
			 2003 (To date) 0 1 18 19

Mail Transport (Rail)

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions have taken place with Royal Mail regarding use of rail to transport mail; and what plans he has to encourage the use of trains for this purpose.

Tony McNulty: The Department has had no discussions with Royal Mail about its decision to withdraw from rail.
	It is the Government's policy to promote a competitive and efficient distribution industry that supports economic growth while bringing benefits to society and the environment. Transferring more freight from the roads on to more sustainable modes is a key component of the Government's long term vision for transport.
	The Strategic Rail Authority published its first Freight Progress Report on 8 May, explaining achievements to date in facilitating more freight by rail. Copies of the report are available in the Libraries of the House.

MOT Charges

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to vary the maximum fees charged by garages for an annual MOT test.

David Jamieson: We are currently consulting on revised maximum MOT test fees and our intention is to introduce them on 1 August 2003.

Number Plate Cloning

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 16 June 2003, Official Report, column 21W, on number plate cloning, on how many occasions during the last 12 months Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority Intelligence Officers passed information on cloned number plates to the police.

David Jamieson: Each week DVLA refers around 80 cases of suspected cloned vehicles to the police. Approximately 60 per month require detailed investigation.

Private Ambulances

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory powers provide for the exemption of private ambulances from elements of (a) the Highway Code and (b) road traffic regulations.

David Jamieson: holding answer 20 June 2003
	The rules of the Highway Code apply to all road users and many are legal requirements. Those that are not may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Traffic Acts in order to help establish liability.
	However, Section 87 of the road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 exempts drivers of vehicles used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes from speed limits in an emergency. The Zebra, Pelican and Puffin Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1997 give qualified exemptions from signals at Pelican and Puffin crossings to vehicles being used for fire brigade, ambulance, national blood service and police purposes, and The Traffic Signs Regulations 2002 give similar qualified exemptions from other red light signals and keep right/ left arrows to vehicles being used for fire brigade, ambulance, bomb or explosive disposal, national blood service or police purposes.
	Traffic regulation orders made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 may include such exemptions as determined by the order making traffic authority. Where appropriate it is usual to include an exemption for vehicles being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes.
	In no case is any distinction made as to whether a vehicle being used for ambulance purposes is private or not.

Rail Passenger Committees

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the names and addresses of the members of each rail passengers' committee, stating in each case whether they were (a) elected, (b) nominated and (c) appointed, and by whom.

Tony McNulty: Appointments to the Rail Passengers' Committees (RPCs) are subject to open competition and are carried out in accordance with the Office of the Commission for Public Appointments (OCPA) guidance. The members of the RPCs are appointed by the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) after consultation with the Secretary of State for Transport, the Scottish Ministers and the National Assembly for Wales, as appropriate, and the Chairman of the Committee in question. The Committee Chairmen are appointed by the Secretary of State after consultation with the SRA and in the case of the Welsh RPC, the National Assembly for Wales. The Scottish Ministers appoint the Chairman of the Scottish RPC after consultation with the SRA. The London Assembly appoints the members and the Chairman of the London Transport Users' committee after consultation with the SRA.
	The names of the members and the addresses of each RPC are set out in their annual reports. Copies of the annual reports are available in the Libraries of the House.

Road Building

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 16 June 2003, Official Report, column 23W, on road building, what estimates he has made of the level of Government funding necessary for the completion of the proposed road schemes.

David Jamieson: In taking forward the detailed development of the road schemes, the local authorities will determine the cost of each scheme. The estimated costs for each of the road schemes detailed in the Final Report of the South East Manchester Multi Modal Study will need to be reviewed in the light of any changes to their design and to include preparation costs and provision for risk assessment in accordance with HM Treasury Guidance.

Train Services

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each year since 1997 the figures for (a) reliability and (b) punctuality of train journeys between (i) Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton and (ii) Wolverhampton and London.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority publish performance statistics for all train operating companies in their quarterly "National Rail Trends" publication and their six-monthly "On Track" publication. The figures for each operator are not broken down to route level, but reflect the performance of their services in aggregate. The most recent editions of these publications were published on 16 June. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Train Services

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average annual number of passengers travelling by train between (a) Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton and (b) Wolverhampton and London was in the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available in the form requested. The Strategic Rail Authority publishes annual passenger journey figures for each Train Operating Company in its Annual Report, a copy of which is placed in the Library of the House.

Voluntary Organisations

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding programmes are operated by his Department to support voluntary organisations working with young people; and what the level of support has been in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The Department operates a number of funding programmes to support a wide range of voluntary organisations which include, but are not exclusive to, young people as a target group. We do not hold centrally information on the level of support to voluntary organisations working with young people. However, the Department is committed to working with and giving young people a real say in shaping transport policy and influencing decisions for the future. The Department is due to publish an Action Plan, setting out how it intends to work better with young people to achieve this.

CABINET OFFICE

Public Appointments

Graham Brady: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his oral answer of 17 June 2003, Official Report, column 210, when the guidance was introduced that the composition of the bench should broadly reflect the voting pattern of the area, as evidenced by the last two general elections.

Douglas Alexander: The Directions for Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace were introduced during September 1998 by the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the right hon. Dr. Jack Cunningham MP.
	These followed the directions prepared and issued at the same time by the former Lord Chancellor's Department, now the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Public Appointments

Graham Brady: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list for each bench in the Duchy of Lancaster (a) the political balance of the bench and (b) the voting pattern for the area.

Douglas Alexander: The overriding criteria when appointing magistrates are the suitability for appointment and the ability of the benches to continue to efficiently handle the case load in their area. Although the voting pattern of the area is taken into consideration, other factors such as age, gender, occupation, ethnic origin and area of residence are also taken into account.
	There are approximately 3,900 magistrates serving on the 26 benches in the Duchy of Lancaster area of Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. Voting patterns of these benches and the area they serve are listed in tables that have today been placed in the Libraries of the House.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Envirowise

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the European Commission confirmed to her Department that Envirowise operates in full compliance with EU state aid laws; and if she will make a statement on the basis of such compliance.

Jacqui Smith: The Envirowise Scheme was not formally notified to the Commission for state aid approval. The Department considered that the programme was designed in such a manner that it should not require such approval.

EU Programmes and Initiatives

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money from mainstream EU programmes and special EU initiatives has been allocated to (a) Cleethorpes, (b) Great Grimsby, (c) Scunthorpe and (d) Brigg and Goole in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information is as follows.
	
		£
		
			  Goole/Brigg Cleethorpes Grimsby Scunthorpe Total 
		
		
			 1997 105,348 0 4,893,815 11,201 5,010,364 
			 1998 412,329 0 1,778,439 167,679 2,358,447 
			 1999 1,093,623 347,251 3,598,965 1,863,168 6,903,007 
			 2000 574,030 477,819 3,572,045 3,900,021 8,523,915 
			 2001 416,822 319,912 4,159,965 541,826 5,438,525 
			 2002 182,081 37,500 2,778,180 474,406 3,472,167 
			 2003 88,970 50,000 3,129,706 843,773 4,112,449 
			 2004 0 50,000 1,346,565 387,530 1,784,095 
			 2005 0 0 54,339 2,000 56,339 
			 Total 2,873,203 1,282,482 25,312,019 8,191,604 37,659,308 
		
	
	Note:
	The amounts include funds from Objective 2 ERDF and ESF, Objective 3 ESF, PESCA (community initiative to assist the fishing industry 1997 to 2000) and RESIDER (community initiative to help steel industry 1997 to 2000).

GDP (North-East)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution the north-east economy made to the UK GDP in percentage terms in each of the last two financial years.

Jacqui Smith: Provisional estimates have been released for the UK GDP up to Quarter 1 of 2003, but no regional GDP figures have been released since 1999. Figures for 1998 and 1999 where regional data have been published are:
	
		
			  North-east contribution (percentage) 
		
		
			 1998 3.5 
			 1999 3.4

Post Office Card Account

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to simplify the application process for Post Office card accounts; and what representations she has received from postmasters about the administrative process.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 18 June 2003
	DTI Ministers and officials regularly receive representations from postmasters on a range of issues, including many aspects of universal banking. The Government are keen to ensure that customers receive a good service and would be willing to consider changes to the present arrangement should that prove to be necessary. At the present time, however, we are satisfied that the application process for a Post Office card account is operating satisfactorily in the interests of customers.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the prospects for the remanufacture of laser and inkjet printer cartridges industry, with special reference to changes in European law.

Stephen Timms: Contrary to some recent newspaper reporting, there have been no changes in European law aimed at this sector. Data provided by the refill and remanufacture industry suggest there are over 100 refill business in the UK and that business is growing.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what plans she has to prevent manufacturers from inhibiting recycling of computer parts, with particular reference to ink and toner cartridges;
	(2)  what plans she has to re-classify ink and toner printer cartridges as printer parts;
	(3)  what action she proposes to take to support the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive concerning the recycling of computer parts, including ink and toner cartridges; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive must be transposed into UK law by summer 2004. This will require higher treatment standards and greater recycling levels to be achieved from the summer of 2005. Computers, printers and a wide range of other products fall within the scope.
	The UK considers ink and toner printer cartridges to be consumables for the purposes of the WEEE Directive, as does the European Commission. The Directive's recovery requirements therefore only apply to these goods when discarded as part of a printer.
	Contrary to some recent newspaper reports, the WEEE Directive in no-way prevents the refilling and recycling of ink and toner cartridges which the Government are keen to see continue.

Regeneration Funding

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the regeneration funding that has been granted by the Government and regional development agencies for projects, partnerships and investments involving the supermarket chains (a) Asda and (b) Tesco over the last five years, including for each one the (i) funding stream, (ii) the type of funding, (iii) the date, (iv) the amount, (v) the location and (vi) the title.

Jacqui Smith: As far as I am aware, neither the DTI nor the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have awarded any regeneration funding to Asda or Tesco over the last five years. Specifically, neither firm has received any regeneration funding support from the DTI in the form of Regional Selective Assistance, and neither firm has received any support from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the form of grant aid. My officials have consulted with the Regional Development Agencies and the LDA and have been advised that none of these agencies has awarded any funding to the two retailers during the last five years.

Renewable Energy

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on (a) wind farms and (b) single windmills adjacent to residential areas.

Stephen Timms: Chapter 4 of the Energy White Paper sets out the Government's policy for the promotion of renewable energy, including wind energy, as part of a move towards a low carbon economy.
	The annex to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Policy Planning Guidance Note 22 (PPG22) contains guidelines on various factors to be taken into consideration in relation to wind turbine location, including suggestions about turbine separation distances from residential dwellings. PPG22 is currently being reviewed, and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister plans to consult on draft revised guidance later this year.

Rural Post Offices (Morecambe and Lunesdale)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been made available to protect rural post offices in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

Stephen Timms: A number of measures are in place to maintain the network of rural post offices. These include the formal requirement placed on the Post Office in November 2000 to prevent any avoidable closures. We also have a £2 million rural post office capital start up fund to support volunteer and community initiatives to maintain or re-establish a rural post office facility where the traditional post office is under threat of closure or has recently closed. Under this scheme, grants of up to £20,000 are available to support the costs of relocating or refurbishing alternative premises. At the end of May 180 grants had been approved, totalling £1,335,173, and payments of £1,073,067 had been made nationally. I understand from Post Office Ltd. that the company is yet to receive any applications under this scheme from sub-postmasters in Morecambe and Lunesdale.
	Rural post offices will also benefit from the £450 million package of financial support for the rural post office network that I announced on 2 December 2002. And the rural network also benefits from investment in the network generally. For example, the rural network benefits from the considerable investment in the network's IT, and in new products, including universal banking services. On automation alone the Government has made the largest ever investment in the Post Office network—£480 million—much of it on the rural network. There is no breakdown of the proportion of this funding that has been spent on supporting rural sub-post offices in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

Standards for Promotions Inspectorate Ltd.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  when the first complaint was made to the Department concerning SFT;
	(2)  when departmental officials questioned the Directors of SFT.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A Winding-up Order was made against Standards for Promotions Inspectorate Ltd. ("SPI") (which the hon. Member refers to as SFT) on 14 May 2003. This Order was made on a petition that was presented to the court by the Secretary of State on 2 April 2003 and followed an investigation under S447 of the Companies Act 1985 by the Department of Trade and Industry's Companies Investigations Branch.
	Complaints made to the Department of Trade and Industry about limited companies, and any statutory inquiries that follow, are confidential. Those taking part in the process do so on the understanding that this confidence will be respected and criminal sanctions apply to the unauthorised release of any information so gathered.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Staff Assaults

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff have been assaulted in hospital casualty departments in each of the last five years; how many of these assaults have been alcohol related; and how many cases have resulted in prosecutions (a) in England and (b) in the City of Durham.

John Hutton: The figures of reported violent or abusive incidents involving staff in National Health Service trust and health authorities, in England for 2000–01 were 1 101,000 and for 2001–02 were 112,000. These are the only national figures collected by the Department using a common definition of violence for reporting purposes.
	Information on the level of assaults by type of incident and individual staff groups is not collected centrally, but may be held at a local level of NHS employers.
	Data on prosecution brought against individuals who assault NHS staff is not currently collected by NHS employing organisations. From 1 April 2003, the new Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) special health authority took over lead responsibility for tackling violence against NHS staff. The programme of work they will be taking forward includes introducing a strengthened national reporting system to record incident of violence and aggression against staff using a common definition with the ability to track cases through to conclusion. This is intended to give the NHS hard and accurate information around incidents and outcomes, particularly where a criminal or civil sanction is pursed to deal with offenders.
	A snapshot survey undertaken in March 2003 found that 51 prosecutions had been brought directly by NHS trusts since updated guidance was issued to NHS employing organisations in June 2002. The guidance states that NHS trusts should consider with their lawyers the need, where appropriate, to support a prosecution against an individual in cases where the Crown Prosecution Service decides not to do so.
	1 The 20001–01 and 2001–02 totals have been estimated to include organisations which did not provide figures and the results are based on surveys by the Department of Health and the National Audit Office.

Aneurysm Screening

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to set up an aneurysm screening programme that avoids the need for those with abdominal aortic aneurysm to wait for action that may result from consideration by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

John Hutton: The United Kingdom national screening committee (NSC) makes recommendations to Ministers on all aspects of screening programmes. It is currently considering the resource costs and workforce implications of implementing a screening programme following the publication of a multi-centre study funded by the Medical Research Council last year. Until these recommendations are received, screening should not be started. There are no plans at present to refer this topic to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

Care Homes

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care home beds were (a) available and (b) in use in (i) Bury St. Edmunds, (ii) Suffolk, (iii) Essex, (iv) Cambridgeshire and (v) Norfolk in the last quarter for which figures are available; and how many were available in the preceding eight quarters.

Stephen Ladyman: The latest available information on the number of care home places in Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk at 31 March each year is shown in the table. Information is centrally collected annually, not on a quarterly basis. The number of care home places in Bury St. Edmunds is not centrally available, however the figures for Suffolk include care home places in Bury St. Edmunds.
	Information on the number of care home places in use is not centrally available.
	
		Care home places in Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk 1999–2001
		
			  Total number of care home places(19) 
			 As at 31 March 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Suffolk area(20),(21) 6,580 6,540 6,600 
			 Essex area(22) 14,730 14,200 14,230 
			 Cambridgeshire area(23) 4,460 5,580 5,620 
			 Norfolk area(24) 9,680 10,350 10,440 
		
	
	(19) Total includes places in residential LA staffed, independent and dual registered homes, and beds in general and mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.
	(20) Care home places in nursing homes in Suffolk health authority and residential homes in Suffolk shire county.
	(21) Includes care home places in Bury St. Edmunds.
	(22) Care home places in nursing homes in North and South Essex health authorities and residential homes in Essex shire county and Southend and Thurrock unitary authorities.
	(23) Care home places in nursing homes in Cambridge health authority and residential homes in Cambridgeshire shire county and Peterborough unitary authority.
	(24) Care home places in nursing homes in Norfolk health authority and residential homes in Norfolk shire county.
	Source:
	RA Form A and RH(N) forms, Department of Health.

Clinical Negligence

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the Chief Medical Officer's Review of Clinical Negligence.

Rosie Winterton: The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, has reviewed a wide range of options to tackle the complex issues involved in improving the present system for handling clinical negligence claims, including no fault compensation. We hope to publish his proposals for reform as a consultation document soon.

Consultants Contract

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the rejection of the proposed new consultants contract; and what action his Department plans to take as a result of this.

John Hutton: The Department was disappointed that a majority of consultants voted against the new contract, agreed with the British Medical Association in June 2002. We remain committed to rewarding those consultants who achieve the most for the national health service, as well as offering a more flexible approach to working patterns, better opportunities to control consultant workload and improvements in the way consultant time is managed.
	To achieve these aims we announced on 17 April 2003 a new framework for rewarding those consultants who do the most for the NHS. The new framework provides flexibility to NHS trusts locally in choosing how best to use extra resources to reward consultants, reform working practices and improve patient services. There is a national framework within which local health services have a choice of:
	Investing in local implementation of the new contract where there is significant consultant support for doing so; and
	Investing in new annual incentives for consultants who make the biggest contribution to improving patient care.

Diagnostic and Treatment Centres

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where diagnostic and treatment centres (DTCs) will be located; what the status will be of NHS consultants employed on a sessional basis by DTCs; what formal arrangements will be concluded for after-care; and what the budget for DTCs will be.

John Hutton: A list of the locations of the 46 national health service-run diagnosis and treatment centres (DTCs) open or in development is shown in the table. The location of the independent DTC chain units, for which a procurement process is currently underway, will depend on the response of the independent sector to the clinical requirements of the NHS and the value for money for NHS commissioners offered by the different solutions.
	
		
			 Strategic health authority DTC scheme 
		
		
			 Avon, Gloucs and Wilts Swindon 
			  Weston 
			   
			 Birmingham and the Black Country Birmingham City Hospital 
			  Dudley 
			  Good Hope 
			  Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham 
			   
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Aintree 
			  Clatterbridge 
			  Crewe 
			  Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen 
			  Southport and Ormskirk 
			   
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Bishop Auckland 
			   
			 Essex Princess Alexandra 
			   
			 Greater Manchester Withington 
			  Wrightington 
			   
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Chase, Bordon 
			  North Hampshire, Basingstoke 
			  Royal Haslar Hospital 
			  Southampton and Winchester 
			   
			 Kent and Medway Dartford 
			   
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Kettering General 
			   
			 London Ravenscourt Park 
			   
			 North and East Yorkshire and Lincs Goole 
			   
			 North Central London Moorfields 
			  UCLH 
			   
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge Bury St. Edmunds 
			  Hinchingbrooke 
			   
			 North West London Chelsea and Westminster 
			   
			 South East London Bromley Hospitals 
			  Kings College Hospital 
			   
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Cannock 
			   
			 South West Peninsula Royal Cornwall (Truro) 
			  Torbay 
			   
			 Surrey and Sussex Chichester 
			  Frimley Park 
			   
			 South West London Newham Acute 
			  Newham PCT 
			  SW London Orthopaedic 
			   
			 Thames Valley Milton Keynes 
			  Nuffield Orthopaedic 
			  Royal Berkshire and Battle 
			   
			 Trent Erewash 
			   
			 West Midlands South Kidderminster 
			   
			 West Yorkshire Pontefract 
		
	
	The status of NHS consultants employed on a sessional basis by NHS DTCs will depend on local circumstances. Where consultants work in an NHS DTC as part of their contract with an NHS trust, their current terms and conditions of service will apply. But alternative arrangements can be agreed locally. Independent sector DTC providers will take clinical and managerial responsibility for any work carried out by NHS staff in their units.
	For both NHS and independent sector DTCs, arrangements for aftercare will be agreed locally between NHS commissioners and the providers concerned.
	£350 million capital has been invested in NHS DTCs. The cost of services delivered by NHS DTCs is for local agreement between the NHS provider and local NHS commissioners. The cost of services delivered through independent sector DTCs will be determined as part of the current procurement exercise.

Diagnostic and Treatment Centres

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diagnostic and treatment centres will be (a) NHS units and (b) private hospitals; and how the decision will be taken on the criteria to be used to determine whether private bidders should be awarded contracts.

John Hutton: There will be 46 NHS-run diagnosis and treatment centre (DTC) units: 15 of these are already open.
	In December 2002, a procurement process for a set of DTCs run by the independent sector was launched. 11 of these schemes are being procured under locally-managed competitions by national health service commissioners; these supplement a national procurement process for seven chains of independent sector DTCs. The exact number of independent sector DTC units will be determined as part of the negotiations, in the light of the responses to the clinical requirements of the NHS and a determination of the value for money offered to NHS commissioners.
	Preferred bidders for independent sector DTCs will be selected through a bid evaluation process. Bids will be evaluated according to clinical competence, governance and quality; fit with the overarching aims of the DTC programme, such as providing extra staff for the benefit of NHS patients; the legal and financial standing of the bidder; and good value for money.

Diagnostic and Treatment Centres

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) names and (b) qualifications of the National Implementation Team who will manage the procurement process for diagnostic and treatment centres; and what arrangements for after-care will be provided by NHS local hospitals.

John Hutton: The National Implementation Team is part of the new Commercial Directorate of the Department of Health. Answering to the new Commercial Director, Ken Anderson, the team is headed by a clinician, Dr. Tom Mann, and brings together staff with a range of clinical, financial and commercial skills relevant to the procurement of clinical services.
	The diagnosis and treatment centre programme, in both the national health service and the independent sector, aims to provide patients with a clearly-structured, patient-focused care pathway. Where this involves different providers taking responsibility for different parts of the care pathway, these arrangements will be agreed locally between NHS commissioners and independent sector providers.

Private Sector Providers

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of return applicable to the contracts offered to private sector providers of diagnosis and treatment centres will be; how the cost of private provision to NHS patients will be calculated; and how staff employed by the private sector units will be offered re-employment in the NHS.

John Hutton: Independent sector diagnosis and treatment centres (DTCs) contracts will be service-based contracts and not subject to rate of return regulation: bids have been invited for given volumes of clinical activity needed by National Health Service commissioners to met 2005 waiting times targets. In the medium-term, as et out in Delivering the NHS Plan, the intention is that independent sector DTCs will practice under a dingle system of regulation, inspection and tariff, across public and private sectors.
	Staffing policies for independent sector DTCs will be the responsibility of the independent sector DTC provider, although they will be required, as part of the tendering process, to demonstrate that their staffing policies will not be disruptive to the local health economy. Where these units use NHS staff, the requirement will be that this is in a structured projects explicitly agreed between the provider and the local health economy: it is expected that NHS staff working in this way will remains NHS employees.

Private Sector Providers

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private hospitals and clinics provided services to the NHS in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; what the cost was of such provision; and what rate of return was (i) calculated and (ii) awarded in such private health care.

John Hutton: The Department does not hold information on the total number of private hospitals and clinics providing services to the national health service, nor on their profit margins. Prices are a matter for negotiation between providers and the NHS organisations commissioning their services.

Dental Services

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for an NHS dental appointment was in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e) Bury St. Edmunds and (f) England in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: Dentists working in the general dental service (GDS) are independent contractors and, as such, information is not held centrally on waiting times for GDS dental appointments.

Doctors (Home Visits)

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many home visits there were out of hours by doctors in (a) 1973, (b) 1980, (c) 1990, (d) 2000 and (e) 2002.

John Hutton: Full data are not held centrally on the number of home visits made during the out-of-hours period, by doctors.

Electronic Prescribing

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to develop electronic prescribing.

John Hutton: holding answer 17 June 2003
	To take forward the commitments to electronic transmission of prescriptions (ETP) made in "Information for Health, Pharmacy in the Future—Implementing the NHS Plan and Delivering 21st Century IT Support for the NHS", the Department of Health commissioned three pilots in June 2002. The Pilots have been exploring options for linking computerised general practitioner practices to local community pharmacies and the Prescription Pricing Authority using the NHSnet.
	Responsibility for the development and implementation of ETP has recently passed to the National Programme for National Health Service information technology. The national programme is reviewing the evaluation reports from the pilots, with a view to putting together a range of options for delivering a robust national model to deliver ETP. The national programme will shortly be making an announcement on how this work will be taken forward.

Emergency Care

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received regarding (a) targets for emergency care in hospitals and (b) the attainment of such targets.

Rosie Winterton: I have received two letters from professional bodies; one letter from an hon. Member; and four letters from members of the public on the subjects of targets for emergency care in hospitals, and the attainment of such targets, over the past eight weeks.

School Vision Screening

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking in response to the recommendations of the National Screening Committee regarding eye screening for children in schools.

Stephen Ladyman: The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (NSC) is currently considering the role of routine vision screening in schools. We will be considering the proposals of the NSC as part of the ongoing work of the national service framework for children, young people and maternity services.

Foundation Hospitals

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 9 June, ref.116290, if he will make a statement on the difference in the cost to a foundation hospital accessing an amount of capital via loans they will be expected to repay as compared to the charge another health organisation accessing capital through the Department of Health and strategic health authorities would have to meet for borrowing the same amount.

John Hutton: The principal way national health service foundation trusts will access capital will be through borrowing from private or public lenders. The difference in cost to the NHS foundation trust of this borrowing, compared to the charges they would pay as a NHS trust accessing capital through a strategic health authority, will depend upon the interest rate at which they borrow. I anticipate that the financing facility, which the Department of Health will make available, will lend at rates not dissimilar to the prevailing rate for the National Loans Fund.

Free NHS Treatment

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people not ordinarily resident in the UK received free NHS treatment in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The fact that someone is deemed not ordinarily resident does not mean that they should automatically be charged for their treatment. It is for individual national health service trusts to establish whether a patient is ordinarily resident, and if not, whether they are nevertheless exempt from paying charges under the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989. Trusts are not required to submit returns to the Department of Health specifically on the numbers of patients who are treated free of charge under those Regulations.

Commission for Social Care Inspection

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to require the Commission for Social Care Inspection to provide an advocacy and support service to self-funding residents in their contract negotiations with private care homes; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: I have no plans to require the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) to provide an advocacy and support service to self-funding residents in their contract negotiations with private care homes. The functions planned for the CSCI include verifying that appropriate protection is provided for all care home residents, including self-funders. Such protection should include care homes facilitating access to available advocacy services where residents lack capacity; written contracts between self funded residents and their home and care homes having clear and simple complaints procedures.

Commission for Social Care Inspection

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that the Commission for Social Care Inspection should have a duty to consult and involve service users in its work at both the local and national levels.

Stephen Ladyman: Clause 86 of the Health and Social Care Bill and section 31 of the Care Standards Act make provision to allow the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) to interview service users who are accommodated within the premises being inspected. The CSCI may use this opportunity to consult service users on the services they are receiving.
	In addition, we anticipate that CSCI will adopt a service user centred approach and will, as the Social Services Inspectorate and the National Care Standards Council have done, include the consultation of service users within its methodologies for review and investigation.

Health Information (Internet)

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to provide health information over the internet; and what measures are in place to ensure information is accurate and of high quality.

John Hutton: As part of its modernisation programme for the national health service, the Government have created the NHS Direct Online website (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) to provide high quality health advice and information on the internet. It is a complementary service to the NHS Direct 24-hour nurse-led helpline.
	NHS Direct Online works closely with clinical professions to ensure that the information it publishes is of the highest quality. NHS Direct Online was recognised as an outstanding example of online health information services at the recent international eHealth Ministerial Conference in Brussels.
	NHS Direct Online works in partnership with the national electronic library for health at: www.nelh.nhs.uk which licenses high quality information resources, such as Clinical Evidence and the Cochrane Library, for use by the public as well as NHS staff.
	The Government share the view that citizens' needs must be at the centre of attention in the development of high quality health related information services. As part of our response to the Bristol Enquiry, the Government have created a National Knowledge Service—see www.nks.nhs.uk which is developing a co-ordinated approach to information services across the NHS.

Hip and Knee Replacement

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the parts needed for hip and knee replacements in a private hospital are stored.

John Hutton: The regulation of the independent health care sector by the National Care Standards Commission requires private hospitals to have procedures in place to provide safe care. It is for individual private hospitals to decide where to store their hip or knee implants. In the national health service they are stored in the theatre storerooms for ease of access.

In-patients (Children)

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital in-patient spells there were in England in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2001–02 of children aged (i) under one year and (ii) aged one to five years with diagnoses of congenital anomalies; how many had diagnoses of (A) central nervous system anomalies, (B) cleft lip and/or palate, (C) anomalies of the heart and circulatory system, (D) anomalies of the alimentary system, (E) anomalies of the genital organ, (F) anomalies of the urinary system, (G) anomalies of the musculoskeletal system including limb reductions, (H) Down syndrome and (I) other chromosomal anomalies; and if he will make a statement on trends over the past five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of hospital in-patient spells in England for children aged under one year with a primary diagnosis of congenital malformations, deformations or chromosomal abnormalities have fallen from 31,222 in 1996–97 to 30,750 in 2001–02. There has also been a fall in in-patient hospital spells for children aged one to five years from 22,533 in 1996–97 to 22,346 in 2001–02. Detailed information for 1996–97 and 2001–02 has been placed in the Library.

London Ambulance Service

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was given to the London ambulance service in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: The total income for the London Ambulance Services (LAS) in 2001–02, the latest year for which figures are available, is £135,775,000. The LAS received most of its income from the provision of services to health authorities, primary care groups and National Health Service trusts.

NHS Pay Beds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the benefits of pay beds in NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The first priority of national health service hospitals is to treat NHS patients. However, as long as it does not interfere with their NHS duties, providing accommodation and services to private patients can be a useful way for NHS hospitals to raise additional income to use for their NHS services.

NHS Staff (Work-related Injuries)

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many (a) medical staff, (b) nursing and midwifery staff and (c) health care assistants have reported back injuries related to their work in the NHS in each of the last six years;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the contribution of staffing levels to the risk of staff or patient injury relating to manual handling of patients in the NHS;
	(3)  if he will place a copy of the NHS Manual Handling Regulations in the Library.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect this information centrally. However, we do know that one third of all reported injuries that result in three or more days off work are caused by manual handling accidents and that manual handling accidents and back pain account for approximately 40 per cent. of all national health service sickness absence.
	Evidence suggests that the introduction of lifting equipment for patients, following suitable risk assessment, has a greater impact on the number of manual handling accidents to both staff and patients than simply increasing staff numbers. We believe that the current strategy of providing increased levels of mechanical aids is responsible for the reduction in manual handing accidents reported by 33 per cent. of trusts in the National Audit Office's recent report "A Safer Place to Work—Improving the Management of Health and Safety Risks to Staff in NHS Trusts".
	The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are not specific to the NHS. However, the Health and Safety Executive has issued non-statutory guidance, "Manual Handling in the Health Services", a copy of which will be placed in the Library.

NHS Staff (Work-related Injuries)

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on compliance within the NHS with the NHS Manual Handling Regulations.

John Hutton: The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) apply to all work activities and are the responsibility of the Department of Work and Pensions.
	The National audit Office report, "A Safer Place to Work—Improving the Management of Health and Safety Risks to Staff in NHS Trusts", showed a reduction of 33 per cent. in manual handling accidents over the last three years. The Department is reviewing approaches taken by national health service trusts in evaluating compliance with the current guidance and will be considering the need for a more consistent approach to evaluation.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforces the above regulations in NHS trusts and other healthcare premises and assesses compliance with the regulations as a key part of most trust inspections. I am informed that the HSE has not prosecuted any NHS trusts for breaches of the regulations, but it has served a number of individual trusts with statutory notices requiring them to improve compliance with various requirements of the regulations.
	Information on the number of statutory notices served in English NSH trusts since 1998–99 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of notices 
		
		
			 1998–99 6 
			 1999–2000 10 
			 2000–01 6 
			 2001–02 13 
			 2002–03 (25)19 
		
	
	(25) Provisional figure

NHS Travel Expense Fraud

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the scale of travel expense fraud in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: No assessment has yet been made of the scale of travel expense fraud in the national health service. However, the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service has an on-going programme of statistically accurate risk measurement exercises, designed to reveal levels of fraud losses. Through repeated exercises, following implementation of fraud prevention regimes, this may demonstrate that a reduction in such losses has taken place.
	These risk measurement exercises are conducted to an accuracy of plus or minus one per cent., and are more accurate than any other similar exercises in the United Kingdom.
	Phase one of these exercises concentrated on pharmaceutical, dental and optical fraud by patients. Phase two has been focusing on fraud by contractors, (pharmacists, dentists, opticians and general practitioners). Phase three will look at wider NHS fraud. Depending on how phase three work is prioritised, it may include travel expense fraud.

NHS Trust Budget Deficits

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected budget deficit is for (a) the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust, (b) the Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust and (c) the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital NHS Trust for the end of the financial year.

Stephen Ladyman: The audited information in respect of the 2002–03 financial position of all national health service trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2003.
	At the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority Board meeting on 15 May it was reported that the forecast deficit for 2002–03 for the trusts was as follows.
	
		£
		
			  Forecast deficit for 2002–03 
		
		
			 Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust 1.9 million 
			 Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust 1.2 million 
			 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital NHS Trust 800,000 
		
	
	These figures are subject to audit of the annual accounts.

Ophthalmic Surgeons

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many ophthalmic surgeons were practising in the UK in each of the last 11 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what measures he is taking to increase the number of ophthalmic surgeons within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The table shows how many ophthalmic surgical medical staff including consultant surgeons were practising in England in each of the last 11 years. Information on Scotland and Wales are matters for devolved Administration. Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office, while the institutions there are dissolved.
	Consultants in ophthalmology have increased by 18 per cent. between September 1997 and March 2002. We expect to see further increases in the number of trained specialists available to take up consultant posts. Latest projections suggest that there will be around 820 consultants in ophthalmology by September 2004. This is part of the substantial planned expansion of the consultant workforce.
	As part of our radical approach to free up the training system in 2003–04, trusts will have the opportunity to fund up to 40 additional training posts in ophthalmology. This will support further increases in consultant numbers.
	
		Hospital ophthalmology medical staff, in England: September 1991 to March 2002 -- Numbers headcount(26)
		
			  Ophthalmology Of which: Consultants 
		
		
			 1991(27) 1,641 466 
			 1992 1,536 468 
			 1993 1,686 507 
			 1994 1,659 489 
			 1995 1,739 530 
			 1996 1,862 564 
			 1997 1,915 580 
			 1998 1,966 598 
			 1999 2,021 628 
			 2000 (March) 2,053 651 
			 2001 2,070 683 
			 2002 n/a 687 
		
	
	n/a = Data not available
	(26) Data as at 31 September each year except 2002 as at 31 March
	(27) Figures rounded to nearest whole number (correction factor has been applied)
	Source:
	Department of Health Medical and Dental workforce census

Pharmacies

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unfilled pharmacy vacancies there are in hospitals in England.

John Hutton: Information on the number of vacancies lasting three months or more is collected in the National Health Services vacancies survey. The available information for pharmacy staff is shown in the table.
	
		Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2002: Vacancies in NHS trusts, pharmacy staff—three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post
		
			 Three monthvacancy ratepercentage Three month vacancy number Staff in post (whole time equivalent) Staff in post (head count) 
			 March 2002 September 2001 
		
		
			  Registered pharmacists(28) 
			 6.6 282 3,751 4,266 
			  Pre-registration pharmacy trainees(28) 
			 2.1 9 599 623 
			  Other qualified pharmacy staff(28) 
			 2.7 124 4,759 5,418 
		
	
	(28) England—Excluding HA staff
	Three month vacancy notes
	1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2002
	2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).
	3. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
	4. Three month vacancy rates for non-medical staff are calculated using staff in post from the Vacancy Survey, March 2002.
	5. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
	Staff in post notes:
	1. Staff in post data is from the Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2001 and the Mini Consultant Census, March 2002.
	2. Staff in post data excludes staff employed by Health Authorities, as vacancy information was only collected from Trusts, PCTs and Special Health Authorities.
	General Notes:
	1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.
	3. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
	Sources:
	Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2002.
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2001.

Post-natal Depression

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of mothers of babies he estimates suffer from depression.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not keep central records on the diagnosis of those receiving mental health services, except in cases where an admission to hospital has occurred. However, information on the overall prevalence of mental ill health among adults living in private households is available from the Office for National Statistics at www.statistics.gov.uk.

Wheelchairs

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under five years old have powered wheelchairs provided by the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Information on the number of individuals who currently have electrically powered wheelchairs which have been provided by the National Health Service is not held centrally.
	Information is available on the number of electrically powered indoor-outdoor chairs issued each year, but this is not broken down by age.
	
		
			 England 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Number of powered wheelchairs issued 4,464 4,033 3,388 3,279(29) 
		
	
	(29) Incomplete figure (one return missing)

Wheelchairs

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much has been allocated for the provision of wheelchairs in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available; and how much has been allocated for the current financial year;
	(2)  what requirement is placed on (a) strategic health authorities, (b) hospital trusts and (c) primary care trusts to provide wheelchairs; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the maximum waiting period is for the provision of a wheelchair to an NHS patient who requires one.

John Hutton: Figures on waiting periods for people requiring wheelchairs are not collected centrally.
	Figures on funding for wheelchair services are not held centrally. Funding for wheelchair services is part of health authority general allocations. It is for health authorities in partnership with primary care groups/trusts and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.
	Section 29 of the National Health Service Act 1997 (NHSA) places a duty on all health authorities to make arrangements with appropriate practitioners to provide medical services for people in their catchment areas (this became the responsibility of primary care trusts as a result of section 2 of the Health Act 1999).
	The National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 Schedule 2, paragraph 43 sets out general practitioners' duties to prescribe items, including wheelchairs for permanent use.
	In practice, it is the 151 NHS Wheelchair Services which actually arrange for the provision of wheelchairs in England.

Primary Care Trusts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what spending plans Southend Primary Care Trust has made for financial year 2003–04, broken down by types of treatment.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not published by the Department of Health. However, Southend Primary Care Trust has taken its local delivery plans to a number of key forums to ensure a wide stakeholder involvement. This includes patients, the local Community Health Council and local general practitioners. A detailed paper was presented to Southend PCT Board in May 2003, which outlined their expenditure plans for 2003–04.

Primary Care Trusts

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how his Department monitors compliance by PCTs with the requirement that funds are made available for the implementation of NICE guidance not later than three months after issue; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what further plans he has to address the local variations in prescribing atypical antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of people with schizophrenia; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what measures are being taken to increase the number of primary care trusts who are implementing the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance on HTA;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who do not have access to the most modern drugs to treat schizophrenia as set out in the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance of June 2002.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance on the use of newer (atypical) antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia in June 2002. It is recommended that atypical antipsychotics should be considered as options for the treatment of schizophrenia. The clinician responsible for prescribing the medication should do so following appropriate assessment of the patient and taking into account the views of the patient (or their advocate if appropriate), and the relative benefits and side effects. The statistics currently available on the use of atypical antipsychotics indicate a continuing rise in the prescribing of these products, but no estimates are available of the number of patients who may not be receiving treatment in accordance with NICE guidance.
	National health service bodies are under a statutory obligation to fund treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisals. We expect primary care trusts (PCTs) to meet their statutory obligations, and strategic health authorities to follow up any allegations of non-compliance. We last reminded PCTs of their obligations in guidance published in January 2003.

Prime Care

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many complaints there have been about Prime Care in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003;
	(2)  what the total value is of NHS contracts with Prime Care (a) in 2002 and (b) projected for 2003.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 12 June 2003, Official Report, column 1079W.

Prime Care

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths are estimated to have occurred while waiting for an on-call doctor to arrive in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003; and how many of these involve Prime Care.

John Hutton: Information is not collected or held centrally on deaths before an on-call doctor arrives.

Service Delivery

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the NHS has performed against its targets for service delivery in each year since 2000.

John Hutton: National Health Service performance against key service delivery targets is set out annually in the Department of Health report. The 2003 Department Report is due to be published shortly and a copy will be made available in the House of Commons Library. The 2002 Department Report is currently available in the Library or alternatively on the Department's website at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/dohreport/report2002/download.html

Shared Services Initiative

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the shared services initiative.

John Hutton: The Department is currently undertaking a review to look at the future direction of shared services, and a number of options are under consideration. Current plans for two established shared services centres will not change and national health service trusts due to migrate finance activities to the centres will continue to do so.

Specialty Networks

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what networks in each specialty have been established in each strategic health authority.

John Hutton: Information on networks established within each strategic health authority (SHA) is not held centrally.
	However, cancer, coronary heart disease and mental health services in England are organised into networks. Cancer services are organised into 34 networks. These networks are not contained within or coterminous with SHA boundaries, as they have been developed to reflect patients' pathways of care and the clinical community of care. A similar approach is being taken to coronary heart disease services, which are being organised into about 30 networks. The National Institute for Mental Health in England is establishing a national mental health network, which is based on eight development centres across England, but makes links with neighbouring SHAs.

St. George's Hospital, Tooting

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been paid by St. George's Hospital NHS Trust, Tooting in response to negligence claims in each of the last five years.

John Hutton: Information on the amounts paid in response to negligence claims is not collected centrally.

Sterilisation

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the money for sterilisation facilities announced in January 2001 was spent.

John Hutton: This money has funded a range of projects covering the purchase of new equipment for cleaning and sterilising instruments, building work to improve segregation and purchase of surgical instruments to enable centralisation of services.
	Funding has also enabled the production of revised guidance on infection control in dentistry and the development of sustainable solutions for the redevelopment of services for groups of national health service trusts.

Strokes

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England in each of the last three financial years have been recovering from the effects of a stroke; and of these, how many are (a) three years, (b) five years and (c) six years past the date of their stroke.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 20 June 2003
	The information requested is not collected centrally. The most comprehensive source of information is the National Sentinel Stroke Audit, carried out by the Royal College of Physicians. The audit was commissioned by the national health service in 1998 and was last updated in 2002. The results can be found at http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/pubs/strokeaudit01–02.pdf. The next Audit is planned for April 2004 in partnership with the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI).
	The Department published the national service framework for older people on 27 March 2001, which includes a standard on stroke. It sets out a comprehensive strategy to ensure fair, high quality integrated health and social care and reduce variations in services.
	The stroke standard provides for stroke prevention, immediate care, early and continuing rehabilitation, and long-term support as components of a service model for integrated specialist stroke services which will build on current arrangements and be in place in all general hospitals which care for people with stroke by April 2004.

Varicose Veins

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for varicose veins (a) in England and (b) in each constituency in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: In 2001–02, there were 42,248 finished consultant episodes of treatment for varicose veins in England. The Department does not collect data by constituency, but the table shows the number of finished consultant episodes in each health authority during this period.
	
		Number of Finished In-year Admission Episodes,2001–02 data year -- Treatment of varicose veins(OPSC4 main operation codes L85-L87(30))Health authority of treatment, NHS hospitals in England
		
			 Health authority of treatment Total episodes 
		
		
			 QA2 Hillingdon 211 
			 QA3 Kensington Chelsea and Westminster 250 
			 QA5 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 222 
			 QA6 Bedfordshire 326 
			 QA7 Berkshire 677 
			 QA8 Buckinghamshire 653 
			 QAD Croydon 396 
			 QAE East Kent 468 
			 QAF West Kent 889 
			 QAG Kingston and Richmond 241 
			 QAH Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham 502 
			 QAJ Merton Sutton and Wandsworth 547 
			 QAL West Surrey 900 
			 QAM East Sussex Brighton and Hove 567 
			 QAN West Sussex 616 
			 QAP Barking and Havering 419 
			 QAR Brent and Harrow 73 
			 QAT Camden and Islington 603 
			 QAV Ealing Hammersmith and Hounslow 440 
			 QAW East London and The City 234 
			 QAX North Essex 578 
			 QAY South Essex 256 
			 QC1 South Lancashire 56 
			 QC2 Liverpool 368 
			 QC3 Manchester 592 
			 QC4 Morecambe Bay 432 
			 QC5 St. Helens and Knowsley 228 
			 QC6 Salford and Trafford 90 
			 QC7 Sefton 826 
			 QC8 Stockport 215 
			 QC9 West Pennine 360 
			 QCC Northamptonshire 260 
			 QCE Oxfordshire 309 
			 QCF Suffolk 275 
			 QCG Barnsley 115 
			 QCH North Derbyshire 141 
			 QCJ Southern Derbyshire 240 
			 QCK Doncaster 373 
			 QCL Leicestershire 513 
			 QCM Lincolnshire 516 
			 QCN North Nottinghamshire 161 
			 QCP Nottingham 506 
			 QCQ Rotherham 183 
			 QCR Sheffield 474 
			 QCT Bury and Rochdale 306 
			 QCV North Cheshire 349 
			 QCW South Cheshire 509 
			 QCX East Lancashire 675 
			 QCY North West Lancashire 612 
			 QD1 North and Mid Hampshire 341 
			 QD3 Southampton and South West Hampshire 403 
			 QD5 Somerset 215 
			 QD6 South and West Devon 626 
			 QD7 Wiltshire 377 
			 QD8 Avon 831 
			 QD9 Birmingham 1,732 
			 QDA Wigan and Bolton 337 
			 QDC Wirral 510 
			 QDD Bradford 498 
			 QDE County Durham and Darlington 513 
			 QDF East Riding and Hull 578 
			 QDG Gateshead and South Tyneside 349 
			 QDH Leeds 799 
			 QDJ Newcastle and North Tyneside 661 
			 QDK North Cumbria 328 
			 QDL South Humber 428 
			 QDM Northumberland 231 
			 QDN Sunderland 252 
			 QDP Tees 502 
			 QDQ Wakefield 410 
			 QDR North Yorkshire 815 
			 QDT Calderdale and Kirklees 674 
			 QDV Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 395 
			 QDW Dorset 749 
			 QDX North and East Devon 665 
			 QDY Gloucestershire 571 
			 QEA Coventry 379 
			 QEC Dudley 473 
			 QED Herefordshire 87 
			 QEE Sandwell 210 
			 QEF Shropshire 317 
			 QEH North Staffordshire 238 
			 QEJ South Staffordshire 572 
			 QEK Walsall 333 
			 QEL Warwickshire 390 
			 QEM Wolverhampton 707 
			 QEN Worcestershire 446 
			 QER Cambridgeshire 530 
			 QET Norfolk 793 
			 QEV Isle of Wight Portsmouth and Southampton 933 
			 QEW Barnet Enfield and Haringey 437 
			 QEX Hertfordshire 587 
			 QEY Bexley Bromley and Greenwich 274 
			 Total NHS hospitals England 2001–02 42,248 
		
	
	Note:
	Finished In-year Admissions are defined as the first period of care under one consultant within one health care provider that start and finished within the year. Please note that Finished In-year Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one Finished Admission within the year.
	(30) OPSC4 Codes
	L85 = Ligation of varicose vein of leg
	L86 = Injection into varicose vein of leg
	L87 = Other operation on varicose vein of leg

Working Time Directive

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been budgeted for pilot studies to demonstrate ways of implementing the European Working Time Directive in NHS hospitals.

John Hutton: A fund of £46 million has been allocated for the Working Time Directive Strategic Change Fund for the financial years 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06. This is in addition to £1.5 million allocated in 2002–03 to 19 pilot sites. For 2003–04, we have so far allocated a further £5.3 million to these pilot sites, in addition to the £12.6 million to strategic health authorities to support specific pieces of work on the Working Time Directive in their locality.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Constituency Case

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will resolve the case ref GV 100/82635/SD; and when a decision will be taken to determine whether the hon. Member for West Chelmsford's constituent's partner's appeal has been successful.

Chris Mullin: I have asked officials to look into this matter, and I will write to the hon. Member with regard to this matter.

Diplomatic Attire

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how much was paid for the hire of morning suits and related attire on the occasion of UK male ambassadors receiving their credentials from Her Majesty the Queen in the past three years;
	(2)  if he will relax the rule requiring all male UK ambassadors to wear morning suits on the occasion of their receipt of new credentials from Her Majesty the Queen; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The total payment for the hire of morning suits and related attire for UK male ambassadors receiving their credentials from Her Majesty the Queen in the past three years was £3,758.95.
	Prompted by my hon. Friend's questions, I asked for a review of the policy. The Queen has confirmed that she would be content for men to wear lounge suits when they have their audience on being appointed a Head of Mission. This brings the Foreign and Commonwealth Office into practice with other audiences given by Her Majesty. This change has immediate effect.
	I am most grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this matter with me.

General Affairs and External Relations Council

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the General Affairs and External Relations Council held on 16 June 2003; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs represented the UK at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Luxembourg on 16 June 2003. This was the final GAERC before the European Council in Thessaloniki on 20 June 20030.
	Conclusions on the European Security and Defence Policy, the Middle East Peace Process, Iran, Burma, Cuba, the Western Balkans and on the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction were agreed by consensus. The texts of these Conclusions have been placed in the Library. No formal votes were taken.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the reference by the Spanish Government to the European Court of Justice of the provision in the European Parliament (Representation) Act 2003 to extend the European Parliament elections franchise to Gibraltar.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on 13 June 2003, Official Report, column 1149W.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes he has made to his policy on the sovereignty of Gibraltar since 12 July 2002.

Denis MacShane: The Government's policy remains as set out in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement of 12 July 2002, Official Report, column 1165.

Gibraltar

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Chief Minister for Gibraltar; what discussions took place; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Central Fife (Mr. MacDougall) on 31 January 2003, Official Report, column 1087W.

Gibraltar

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that new discussions between Government and the Spanish Government regarding Gibraltar will include the Gibraltar Government as an equal presence.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 20 June 2003
	We have always been clear that we wanted the involvement of the Government of Gibraltar in the Brussels Process talks. We invited the Chief Minister of Gibraltar to participate in these discussions on the basis of the two flags, three voices formula, having his own and distinct voice as part of the British delegation. This invitation remains open.

Indonesia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will urge the Indonesian Government to ensure that criminal cases in West Papua are investigated by the police;
	(2)  if he will urge the Indonesian Government to support the Land of Peace dialogue between West Papua and Jakarta;
	(3)  if he will urge the Indonesian Government to carry out an investigation into the events in Wamena on 4 April 2003.

Mike O'Brien: We continue to stress to the Indonesian Government the importance of criminal cases being investigated by the police, as well as a fair and transparent judicial system and of applying the law in an even handed way. When my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Indonesia in January 2003 he offered human rights training for a number of Indonesian Supreme Court judges. This has now been undertaken and we are positively considering a request for further training in this area. We are also working with the Indonesian police to identify areas where we can help them develop their skills and training.
	The British Government have consistently made clear their view that long-term solutions to regional conflicts can only be achieved through negotiation and consultation. Any debate about the future of Papua should be worked out between the Indonesian Government and the people of Papua.
	The British embassy in Jakarta is monitoring the situation in Wamena closely and has recently met NGOs and community leaders from the area. We are aware of reports of civilians being abused and buildings being burned, and the embassy is raising this with the Indonesian authorities.

Iraq

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his policy to support the establishment by the UN of a commission of experts to monitor human rights in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: We support the programme proposed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for promoting and protecting human rights in Iraq, including their call for immediate funding of US$950,000 to deploy Human Rights Officers to Iraq. The UK has agreed to allocate £400,000 (US$650,000) towards the OHCHR's request.

Iraq

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to protect human rights in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1483, the UK is working closely with coalition partners and UN Special Representative for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, on promoting the protection of human rights in Iraq. The Coalition Provisional Authority is undertaking an assessment of the capacity and needs of the Iraqi justice sector.
	We support the programme proposed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for promoting and protecting human rights in Iraq, including their call for immediate funding of US$950,000 to deploy human rights officers to Iraq. The UK has agreed to allocate £400,000 (US$650,000) towards the OHCHR's request.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has appointed my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) as his Special Envoy to Iraq on Human Rights and she will report back to him with recommendations.

Iraq

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to secure human rights for the citizens of post-conflict Iraq.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Phil Sawford) today (UIN 119716).

Iraq

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of (a) human rights in Iraq, (b) the opportunities for those responsible for the interim administration in Iraq to protect human rights and (c) the challenges to maintain human rights in that country.

Bill Rammell: The Coalition Provisional Authority is undertaking an assessment of the capacity and needs of the Iraqi justice sector. The assessment will provide a basis for evaluating issues relating to the protection of human rights in Iraq.
	We are also supporting the programme proposed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for promoting and protecting human rights in Iraq, including their call for immediate funding of US$950,000 to deploy human rights officers to Iraq. The UK has agreed to allocate £400,000 (US$650,000) towards the OHCHR's request.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has appointed my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) as his Special Envoy to Iraq on Human Rights and she will report back to him with recommendations.

Kenya

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on women's property rights in Kenya.

Chris Mullin: Women in Kenya are at present seriously disadvantaged in terms of inheritance and property rights. President Kibaki's new Government is committed to taking a sympathetic approach to gender rights. We will include this as part of our dialogue with the Kenyan Government on human rights issues. We are also, through our High Commission in Nairobi, supporting Kenyan civil society organisations, such as the Kenya Land Alliance, which seek to address the problem of women's property rights and advocate a fairer and more transparent land policy.

Mauritania

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the present situation in Mauritania.

Bill Rammell: The situation in Mauritania, although still tense, is returning to normal following a coup attempt on 8 to 9 June 2003. This attempt has failed. Mauritanian Government forces have re-taken areas seized by the rebels, arrested coup leaders and are mopping up the remaining pockets of resistance.
	My right hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mike O'Brien) issued a press release on 10 June 2003 deploring the attempted coup and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister sent President Taya a message of sympathy.

North Korea

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential nuclear threat from North Korea.

Denis MacShane: We have long-standing concerns about North Korea's nuclear programmes. These concerns have been heightened by recent statements and actions by the North Korean Government.
	We and our allies continue to take all available opportunities to urge North Korea to allow the return of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor activities at its nuclear facilities.

Serbia

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Serbian Government's co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Denis MacShane: The Serbia and Montenegro (SaM) authorities have taken several recent positive steps in co-operating with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
	In April this year, Serbia and Montenegro amended their legislation on co-operation with the ICTY to facilitate better compliance. Since January 2003, the Serbia and Montenegro authorities have transferred five ICTY indictees to the Hague: former Serbian president Milan Milutinovic; Vojislav Seselj, leader of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS); Miroslav Radic, a former Captain of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA); Franko Simatovic, former commander of the now disbanded Special Operations Unit of the Serbian Interior Ministry (Red Berets); the Jovica Stanisic, former Chief of the Republic of Serbia State Service.
	On 13 June 2003, I issued a press release in which I commended the Serbia and Montenegro authorities for the arrest of retired JNA Colonel Veselin Sljivancanin, who was indicted in 1995 for alleged involvement in war crimes committed near Vukovar, Croatia in 1991. His arrest is a further indication of the SaM authorities' determination to co-operate with the ICTY and I look forward to his transfer to The Hague.
	Full co-operation with the ICTY is needed in order to secure international aid and closer integration with Euro-Atlantic organisations. I urge the Serbia and Montenegro authorities to transfer all remaining ICTY indictees on SaM territory to The Hague and allow the ICTY full access to archives and witnesses.

Sewel Motions

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since May 1999 that apply to his Department's responsibilities and Government bills he has sponsored.

Jack Straw: No bill sponsored by my Department has been the subject of a Sewel motion in the Scottish Parliament.

Sierra Leone

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the response of the Department to the actions of Ghana in relation to the arrest warrant issued by the UN-backed War Crimes Tribunal in Sierra Leone.

Chris Mullin: The UK strongly supports the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the principle that everybody should be answerable for their actions. My noble friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Baroness Amos) has emphasised this point to President Kufuor, while welcoming the efforts of Ghana and ECOWAS to secure peace for the people of Liberia.
	The Special Court for Sierra Leone was not established under a Security Council Chapter VII Resolution, and states are not legally obliged to co-operate with Court. The Security Council has however, called on all states to do so and the Court has been moving to establish extradition agreements with key countries although we understand that the Court does not, at present, have such an agreement with Ghana.
	Taylor is a malign influence in the region. We urge him to surrender himself to the Court. We will continue to encourage all states, particularly those in the region, to facilitate his arrest.

Sunset Clauses

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to include a sunset clause in all new legislation promoted by his Department unless a specific case can be made to exclude a sunset clause.

Jack Straw: No. Whether such a clause is needed depends on the circumstances of each Bill. In the case of the FCO much of our legislation is to implement HMG's international obligations, so if those obligations do not have a specific time limit, a limit in our domestic legislation would not be appropriate.

Sustainable Development

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on what remit relating to sustainable development is (a) required of and (b) undertaken by his Department's (i) executive agencies, (ii) advisory non-departmental bodies, (iii) executive non-departmental bodies, (iv) tribunals, (v) public corporations and (vi) other bodies.

Jack Straw: The FCO has a long-standing commitment to promoting international sustainable development based on the outcome of the Earth Summit held in Rio in 1992, and more recently, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. Promoting sustainable development is one of the top seven strategic policy priorities for the FCO over the next 10 years. The FCO expects all organisations for which it is responsible to reflect the strategic objectives of the Department. In the light of the right hon. Gentleman's question these organisations are being reminded of our commitments.
	The FCO has two Public Service Agreements that relate to sustainable development (Business Plan 2002–06):
	Public Service Agreement 7
	Make globalisation work for sustainable development in the UK and internationally (especially in Africa) by promoting democracy and the rule of law, good economic and environmental governance, and security of long-term energy supply, measured by specific underlying targets.
	Public Service Agreement 11
	Improvement in the governance, environment and security of the overseas territories, and more diversified economic development, as measured by implementation of the commitments in the 1999 White Paper, "Partnership for Progress and Prosperity—Britain and the Overseas Territories".
	We cannot be secure or prosperous in isolation from the rest of the world. We are working towards poverty reduction and sustainable development in all parts of the world and we are promoting democratic values, human rights and good government which underpin this. The FCO works closely with other Government Departments (OGDs), NGOs, business, international organisations, to deliver these outcomes.
	The FCO is working to secure commitments made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development on a range of issues. For example, the FCO is playing a leading role in partnerships on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, Partnership for Principle 10 (environmental governance), and the Sustainable Tourism Initiative. It is also working with OGDs on commitments around International Sustainable Development Governance, co-ordinated World Summit for Sustainable Development/Monterray follow-up, trade reform Corporate Social Responsibility, oceans, and sustainable production and consumption.

Sustainable Development

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment is made of environmental impact against sustainable development criteria of bids for grants awarded by his Department; and whether these assessments are published.

Jack Straw: All bidders to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) are required to disclose whether the project has been screened for potential environmental impacts, and to describe any impacts inherent in their projects. Bids to the GOF are assessed by officials, depending on the nature of the proposal, against criteria which include the potential environmental impact of the project. Their assessments are not published, but bidders are given comprehensive feedback on unsuccessful bids.

International Criminal Court

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has signed an Article 98 agreement with the United States in respect of the International Criminal Court.

Bill Rammell: No agreement has been signed. Foreign Office officials received US delegates to discuss this issue last October. These were preliminary discussions. Officials explained that the UK could only consider signing an agreement if it was consistent with our obligations under the Rome Statute and in line with EU guiding Principles. The US undertook to reflect on this and have yet to come back to us.

Yemen

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Yemen; what plans he has to review the travel advice for Yemen; and when he last met the Yemeni ambassador to the UK.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to visit Yemen at present. Our travel advice for Yemen is kept under continuous review. The Foreign Secretary has met the Yemen ambassador at a number of recent official diplomatic events, the last of which was his dinner for the Diplomatic Corps to celebrate the Queen's official birthday on 11 June 2003.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asbestos

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the actions his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are taking to comply with the requirements of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002; whether he has made an estimate of the cost of compliance; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The new asbestos regulations come into force on 21 May 2004. The Home Office has already undertaken a number of actions to ensure that it complies with them. Building managers have been informed of the implications of the new regulations and they will be provided with relevant training.
	A survey undertaken last year indicated that about 70 per cent. of properties across the Home Office including all prisons are already compliant with the new regulations and this will be followed up by a survey in early 2004 to check compliance in advance of them coming into force. The total cost of compliance has not been centrally calculated and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

CCTV

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether CCTV has been installed in residential areas of Wandsworth Prison; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Closed circuit television (CCTV) has not been installed inside residential units at Wandsworth prison, as it is not considered necessary. CCTV, however, will be part of the specification for a refurbished segregation unit on which work is to start next year.

Community Sentences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community sentences were given in the last two years in which a condition of residence at a probation hostel was imposed.

Paul Goggins: The number of people starting supervision by the Probation Service under community sentences on which the condition of residence at a probation hostel was imposed was 677 in 2000 and 624 in 2001.

Corporate Killing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the results were of his Department's Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Government's proposals to change the law on corporate killing.

Paul Goggins: The results of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) are still being assessed but the preliminary indications are that the costs of a change in the law will not be large. As made clear in the RIA, no new burdens will be placed on companies in terms of the standards with which they will be legally required to comply.

Corporate Killing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the legislation in force in relation to corporate killing.

Paul Goggins: Currently companies who cause death through systemic management failure may be prosecuted for the common law offence of gross negligence manslaughter, and are subject to a number of other statutory regimes relating to health and safety.

Corporate Killing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list recent meetings he has had with (a) companies and business leaders and (b) trade unions on the issue of corporate killing and possible legislation on it.

Paul Goggins: Home Office Ministers have met with a number of organisations to discuss the issue of corporate killing over the past few years. Most recently these included:
	Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TU on 27 February 2003
	Digby Jones, CBI Director General on 12 May 2003
	William Moyes and deputation from the British Retail Consortium on 2 June 2003
	In addition a number of meetings have been held with officials. Further meetings with key stakeholders will be convened over the next few months in order to inform the development of proposals for legislation on corporate killing.

Corporate Killing

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his policy that Crown employees should be held accountable on the same basis as company directors under any new legislation on corporate killing.

Paul Goggins: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 20 May 2003 that firm proposals for legislation on corporate killing will be published before the end of this year. The position of Crown bodies in relation to any new proposals will be an issue for consideration. No decision has yet been made.

Crime Statistics (East Yorkshire)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed by juvenile offenders in (a) Haltemprice and Howden, (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (c) the Humberside Police Authority area in each of the last two quarters for which figures are available; and how many cautions were issued.

Paul Goggins: It is not known how many crimes are committed by juveniles. The information contained in the table gives the number of juveniles convicted or given reprimands and final warnings in Humberside, for the 3rd and 4th quarter 2001.
	The information collected centrally does not enable cases in the Haltemprice and Howden constituency to be identified nor reprimands and final warnings in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
	Statistics for 2002 will be published in the autumn.
	
		Number of juveniles, found guilty at all courts, number reprimands and final warnings(31), for all offences, Humberside,3rd and 4th quarter 2001
		
			 Area, age and disposal etc. Quarter 3 Quarter 4 
		
		
			 East Riding of Yorkshire   
			 Juveniles aged 10–17 found guilty 112 93 
			 Juveniles aged 10–17 receiving a reprimand n/a n/a 
			 Juveniles aged 10–17 receiving a final warning n/a n/a 
			
			 Humberside Police Force Area   
			 Juveniles aged 10–17 found guilty 477 382 
			 Juveniles aged 10–17 receiving a reprimand 247 186 
			 Juveniles aged 10–17 receiving a final warning 129 74 
		
	
	n/a = Not available
	(31) Cautions were replaced by reprimands and final warnings from June 2000

Criminal Records Bureau

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what percentage amount the Criminal Records Bureau is to increase its fees for (a) standard search and (b) new enhanced search.

Paul Goggins: With effect from 1 July 2003 the fee for Standard level disclosures will increase to £24.00, with Enhanced level checks increasing to £29.00. This is expressed in percentage terms as an increase of 100 per cent. for Standard Disclosures and an increase of 142 per cent. for the Enhanced searches. The main reason for these increases is that fees, which where set before the service was operational, have been found to be unrealistically low. Additionally, in the past 12 months the Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) has seen an increase in its operating costs. The following factors have contributed to this:
	A higher than anticipated demand for the paper application channel;
	A higher than anticipated proportion of Disclosures being at Enhanced level;
	The high number of applications having to be returned, due to inaccuracies or the omission of supporting documentation, resulting in additional processes and procedures.
	Telephone and postal applications made to the CRB from 1 July 2003 will be charged the new fees. In consideration for any delays in the postal system a one-week period of grace will be allowed for applications submitted by post.
	Volunteers will continue to obtain their Disclosures free of charge. The CRB issued over 200,000 Disclosures to volunteers up until 31 March, which represents a saving of over £2.4 million to the voluntary and community sector.

Criminal Records Bureau

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Criminal Records Bureau searches from Essex county council have been outstanding for (a) four weeks, (b) 10 weeks and (c) six months.

Paul Goggins: The total number of applications outstanding for Essex county council over four weeks is 457. Of these, 203 are over 10 weeks old and 139 are over six months old.
	These figures include those applications that have been returned to the customer for additional information or further documentary evidence. Essex county council has been notified of these applications and until this information has been received, the Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) cannot process these applications. The CRB has undertaken several initiatives recently to reduce the number of aged applications in the system that are causing delays to other applications. The number of applications outstanding over 10 weeks and six months are reducing week by week. The Bureau continues to improve its output and anticipates that the number of aged applications will be reduced to no more than 5 per cent. of work in progress by September 2003.

Criminal Records Bureau

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to meet the target of 90 per cent. of Criminal Records Bureau (a) standard searches completed within two weeks and (b) new enhanced searches completed within four weeks.

Paul Goggins: The target to complete 90 per cent. of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Standard Disclosures within two weeks and Enhanced Disclosures within four weeks is expected to be met by the end of July 2003. Latest figures indicate that the CRB is currently processing 85.6 per cent. of Standard Disclosures within two weeks and 88.2 per cent. Enhanced Disclosures within four weeks.
	The original service standards were set before the launch of what is a new and unique service at a time when it was difficult to predict the optimum level of service that could be delivered. The experience of the first 12 months operation indicated that they were overly ambitious.

Criminal Records Bureau

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Criminal Records Bureau searches on behalf of persons or organisations in Cornwall have been outstanding for (a) 10 weeks, (b) four months and (c) six months.

Paul Goggins: The information sought by the hon. Member regarding outstanding Disclosure applications in Cornwall is only available as a total figure which does not take into account the large number of applications that have been returned either to the 273 Registered Bodies in Cornwall or the applicants, because of form completion errors or omission.
	The number of outstanding disclosure applications for Cornwall are:
	(a) Applications between 0–10 weeks—700 (547 of these applications are under four weeks old)
	(b) Applications between 10 weeks–04 months—204
	(c) Applications between 04 months–06 months—224
	The Criminal Record Bureaus (CRB's) current service standards are to clear 90 per cent. of Standard Disclosures within two weeks and 90 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosures within four weeks. As of week ending 07 June the targets achieved by the CRB were 85.6 per cent. and 88.2 per cent. respectively.

Electronic Tagging

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many adult offenders have been tagged by order of the courts; how many of these orders entailed (a) tagging alone and (b) tagging in combination with other interventions; and what proportion of the offenders in each category completed the order.

Paul Goggins: As at 31 May 2003, 25,639 adult offenders had been tagged by order of the courts. Details of how many orders entailed tagging alone or in combination with other interventions are not centrally available.

Feltham Young Offender Institution

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what length of time on average prisoners aged (a) up to 18 and (b) over 18 at Feltham young offenders prison spent locked in their cells each day in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Details of the average time prisoners spend locked in their cells each day are not recorded by the Prison Service. However, the average time unlocked for all prisoners at Feltham young offender institution for the periods specified is given in the following table. No details are collected routinely on average time spent out of cell by specific age groups of prisoners.
	
		Hours
		
			  Average week day time unlocked at Feltham Average weekend time unlocked at Feltham 
		
		
			 1997–98 8 6 
			 1998–99 8 6 
			 1999–2000 8 6 
			 2002–03 7.4 6.2

Juvenile Sex Offenders

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rehabilitation and treatment facilities are available upon leaving residential facilities to young offenders convicted of sexual offences.

Paul Goggins: Work with young people under 18 convicted of sexual offences who are leaving custodial establishments is carried out by a range of services including the NHS, social services, probation and charitable and community organisations. Youth Offending Teams draw up individual training and supervision plans in consultation with these services. Depending on the individual's circumstances these provide for risk management, supervision, mental health treatment, family support and work with victims. They draw on the services of 75 projects across England and Wales providing services for young sexual abusers.

National Probation Service

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish a national workload agreement for the National Probation Service.

Paul Goggins: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, through the National Probation Directorate, is not planning to publish a national workload agreement as this is a matter for each individual Probation Board and its employees. 41 of the 42 Probation Areas in the National Probation Service for England and Wales have recently reached local agreements on workload, and negotiations continue in the final Area. The National Probation Directorate has provided a workload prioritisation framework and is running a project to develop a national workload measurement tool.

Paedophiles

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted paedophiles are resident in each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales.

Paul Goggins: Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), established in April 2001 through the Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000, imposed a duty on each of the 42 police and probation areas in England and Wales to work together to protect the public from sexual and violent offenders.
	As part of these arrangements, each police and probation area is required to publish an annual report which includes details of the number of sexual offenders within their area. These are not broken down between offenders against adults and children. On 31 March 2002 over 47,000 offenders were covered by the MAPPA, which includes all offenders subject to the notification requirements of Part 1 of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 as well as other violent and sexual offenders. Offences for which the notification requirements (the "sex offender register") apply are listed in Schedule 1 of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 and include sexual offences against children under the age of 16 as well as adults.
	Copies of last year's annual reports are available in the Library. The next MAPPA annual reports will all be published by September and copies will be available in the Library from September.
	Statistics on offenders convicted for sexual offences against children are not collected at parliamentary constituency level.

Proscribed Organisations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine under the criteria in the Terrorism Acts for proscription; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: The list of proscribed organisations is kept under review and decisions to proscribe or de-proscribe are taken after careful consideration of all relevant aspects.

Parliamentary Questions

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to respond to the question tabled by the hon. Member for North Thanet on 29 April 2003, ref 111090.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 3 June 2003, Official Report, column 91W.

Prison Drug Rehabilitation Programmes

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners who were given detoxification in the last 12 months for which figures are available entered one of the Prison Service's drug rehabilitation programmes.

Paul Goggins: Individually tracked data on the take up of interventions is not recorded routinely. The limited scope of the available data is recognised and the Prison Service is currently working on a number of measures to improve performance monitoring.

Prison Drug Rehabilitation Programmes

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners who entered drug rehabilitation programmes in the last 12 months for which figures are available went on to complete those programmes.

Paul Goggins: This information is not available centrally. The Prison Service is currently reviewing its data collection requirements to bring it in line with the targets set by the Department of Health for those undergoing treatment. Work is under way to look at the attrition rates of the Prison Service drug treatment programmes and I will write further to the hon. Member once the work is concluded.

Prison Statistics

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls aged (a) 15 years old, (b) 16 years old, (c) 17 years old were being held in prison in each of the last 12 months; and of these girls how many have children.

Paul Goggins: The number of females aged 15, 16 and 17-years old in Prison Service establishments, for each of the last 12 months, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Age 15 Age 16 Age 17 
		
		
			 April 2002 6 30 92 
			 May 2002 8 29 81 
			 June 2002 9 27 85 
			 July 2002 8 32 85 
			 August 2002 6 31 84 
			 September 2002 5 29 72 
			 October 2002 4 22 85 
			 November 2002 7 19 84 
			 December 2002 1 23 91 
			 January 2003 0 31 87 
			 February 2003 0 22 79 
			 March 2003 0 15 77 
		
	
	Information is not held centrally on how many of these females have children.

Prison Statistics

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under-18-year olds were held in custody in England and Wales in each month of the last 12 months, broken down by (a) prison, (b) local authority secure unit, (c) young offenders institution and (d) secure training centre; and in each case how many persons were held aged (i) 10 to 12, (ii) 13 to 14, (iii) 15 to 16 and (iv) 17 to 18.

Paul Goggins: The figures include all 18-year olds in Prison Service establishments. The requested information is in the table and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Prison Statistics

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are being held over (a) 50 miles and (b) 100 miles from their home town.

Paul Goggins: On 26 February 2003, the latest date for which information is available, 14,500 prisoners were held between 50 and 100 miles from their home area and 12,500 prisoners were held over 100 miles from their home area.

Prisoners (Drug Testing)

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his policy of random drug testing of prisoners includes testing at weekends.

Paul Goggins: Yes. Prisons are required to undertake at least 14 per cent. of total mandatory drug testing at weekends.

Prison Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of education hours was cancelled at prisons in England and Wales other than Holloway between February 2002 and January 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend, the Member for Leeds, Central (Hilary Benn) gave on 8 May 2003, Official Report, column 824W.

Prison Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his assessment is of the likely impact of the new investment plan for offenders' education on the percentage of education hours (a) planned and (b) completed at Holloway prison over the next 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service's investment plan gives priority to the needs of young offenders and to female prisoners. Holloway will receive an additional £132,000 for this financial year, enabling it to increase the volume of teaching hours by 50 per cent. from September 2003. The prison's materials and accreditation budget will also increase in proportion—by around £12,000.
	The Prison Service is also investing in new Heads of Learning and Skills posts in prison establishments from September 2003. In the longer term this investment—together with the new education and training contracts taking effect from next year—should support increased coherence, flexibility and efficiency of delivery so that more of what is planned is realised.

Probation/Prison Service IT Systems

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an ergonomic assessment has been completed in relation to E-OASys for the probation and prison services; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The National Probation Service's OASys IT system meets an ergonomic standard developed and agreed last year for use on another probation system that uses the same technology. In addition, the OASys system is subject to an ongoing process of ergonomic assessment and improvement as the system develops. A formal written assessment will be undertaken later this year.
	The Prison Service OASys IT system conforms to Prison Service ergonomic standards. An ergonomic assessment is under way ready for deployment of the live system later this month.

Remand Prisoners

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in the last five years have spent (a) over six months, (b) over 12 months, (c) over 18 months and (d) over two years in prison on remand.

Paul Goggins: The numbers of prisoners in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales in each of the last five years who have spent (a) more than six months up to and including 12 months, (b) more than 12 months up to and including 18 months, (c) more than 18 months up to and including two years and (d) more than two years on remand are given in the table.
	
		
			 Length since first remand Total 
		
		
			 30 June 1999  
			 More than six months up to and including 12 months 1,070 
			 More than 12 months up to and including 18 months 200 
			 More than 18 months up to and including two years 80 
			 More than two years 60 
			 30 June 2000  
			 More than six months up to and including 12 months 870 
			 More than 12 months up to and including 18 months 180 
			 More than 18 months up to and including two years 50 
			 More than two years 120 
			 30 June 2001  
			 More than six months up to and including 12 months 770 
			 More than 12 months up to and including 18 months 170 
			 More than 18 months up to and including two years 50 
			 More than two years 160 
			 30 June 2002  
			 More than six months up to and including 12 months 940 
			 More than 12 months up to and including 18 months 170 
			 More than 18 months up to and including two years 60 
			 More than two years 220 
			 30 June 2003  
			 More than six months up to and including 12 months 1,150 
			 More than 12 months up to and including 18 months 230 
			 More than 18 months up to and including two years 90 
			 More than two years 270

Television Licences

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women are in prison for non-payment of their television licence; and what proportion that represents of the male and female prison population.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 11 June 2003
	On 31 March 2003, there was one man and no women in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for defaulting on the payment of a fine for using a television without a licence. This represents 0.001 per cent. of the male prison population in England and Wales.

Victim Support

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding was allocated to the victim support programme in each of the last three years; what the projected funding is for the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The total Home Office grant to the organisation Victim Support was £18.55 million in 2000–01, £25.05 million in 2001–02 and £29.3 million in 2002–03. The grant in the current financial year will be £30 million. Current plans envisage the grant being maintained at that level in 2004–05 and 2005–06.

Vulnerable Witnesses

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to make it easier for vulnerable witnesses to give evidence in court; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: In July 2002 we started a phased implementation of special measures to assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses to give their best evidence. Vulnerable witness—who are defined by section 16 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 as being persons (not the accused) who are aged under 17 years or whose quality of evidence would be diminished by reasons of a mental disorder, or impairment of intelligence and social functioning, or a physical condition or disorder—can now apply for the following special measures in the Crown Court:
	Screens—to ensure that the witness does not see the defendant;
	Live TV link—allowing a witness to give evidence from outside the court;
	Clearing the court so that evidence can be given in private;
	Removal of wigs and gowns in court;
	Video recorded evidence in chief—allowing an interview with the witness, which has been video recorded before the trial, to be shown as the witness's evidence in chief; and
	Use of communication aids.
	The magistrates' courts, implementation has been limited so far to live link and video recorded evidence in chief for witnesses aged under 17 in certain categories of case, including sexual and violence offences. Further rollout of the special measures is planned for 2003–04 following evaluation of the first phase.
	Two of the special measures—video recorded pre-trial cross-examination and examination of the witness through an intermediary—are novel and complex and will be the subject of pilot projects before they are introduced nationally. Preparations are being made for intermediary pilots to begin later this year. A scoping study on options for piloting video recorded pre-trial cross-examination will be commissioned shortly.

Women's Justice Board

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to set up a national Women's Justice Board.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 16 June 2003
	We have no plans to establish a separate Board with specific responsibility for women. The Correctional Services Board was established last year to set the overarching strategy for the correctional services and to identify key strategic issues. Within its remit the Board considers how correctional services could be improved to meet the needs of particular groups. The Board's focus so far has been on services for 18 to 20-year olds, but with a view to expanding it to include other groups, which could include women.
	We also have the national Criminal Justice Board, with ministers and senior representatives (including agency chiefs) from across the criminal justice system (CJS), who support the delivery of the CJS Public Service Agreement targets on the justice gap and confidence. The Board has specific responsibility for combating inequality and discrimination within the CJS.
	The Government are also responding to the need to improve services and provision specifically for women in the criminal justice system, through the Women's Offending Reduction Programme. This promotes gender consideration in the delivery of services, programmes and other interventions and encourages departments and agencies to work together to tackle the factors that affect women's offending.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Acute Hospital Provision

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in which areas in Northern Ireland the money announced on 24 February for acute hospital provision will be spent; and on what capital projects.

Angela Smith: The areas and acute hospital projects are as follow:
	
		
			 Area  
		
		
			 Antrim Provision of a nucleus extension at Antrim hospital 
			 Belfast Provision of a Plastics and Day-Procedures Unit at the Belfast City hospital 
			  Provision of a new Maternity hospital for the greater Belfast area 
			  Redevelopment of the Mater hospital north Belfast 
			 Craigavon The first phase of a restructuring scheme at Craigavon hospital 
			 Derry Completion of a redevelopment programme at Altnagelvin hospital 
			 Downpatrick Provision of a new local hospital 
			 Enniskillen A new acute hospital for the south Western area 
		
	
	The following hospital sites have also been identified for redevelopment:
	Lagan Valley hospital, Lisburn
	mid-Ulster hospital, Magherafelt
	South Tyrone hospital, Dungannon
	Tyrone county hospital, Omagh
	Whiteabbey hospital
	Detailed plans for these capital projects are not yet available.

Autistic Children

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has been allocated for teaching autistic children by applied behaviour analysis in each of the five education and library boards in the last five years; and how many children in each board have been taught by the ABA programme in the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: It is not possible to quantify the total funding of ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis) provision in schools for the last five years, as this cannot be separated from other elements of educational intervention, provided on a day-to-day basis, for children with an autistic spectrum disorder.
	Education and library boards support pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder in their areas in a variety of appropriate ways. An eclectic approach using a range of methods is used and this accords with the recommendations of the Task Group Report on Autism. These methods will include aspects of TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic Children and those with related Communications Handicaps), PECS (Picture Exchange Communication Systems) and ABA.
	In addition, all educational psychologists are trained in ABA techniques as part of their degree qualification.
	The Belfast Education and Library Board and the South-Eastern Education and Library Board are each currently funding four children on specific ABA programmes at an average cost of over £13,000 per child, per annum.

Decommissioning

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the state of decommissioning is in the Province.

Jane Kennedy: To date there have been three acts of decommissioning carried out by paramilitary organisations, one by the Loyalist Volunteer Force and two by the Provisional IRA. In 2002 the three major paramilitary groups (UVF, UDA and Provisional IRA) broke off contact with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning. However, in 2003 the Provisional IRA resumed contact and the Loyalist Commission, along with the UDA representative, met the IICD.
	However, the Prime Minister stated clearly in his speech on 1 May 2003 that an undertaking is needed that all arms will be put beyond use through the IICD.

District Policing Partnerships

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost is of the police board consultation regarding district policing partnerships.

Jane Kennedy: As the public consultation survey postal forms for district policing partnerships were issued recently, it is not yet possible to give a final accurate cost. However the estimated cost for this exercise is £80,000.

Fair Employment

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which health and personal social services trusts in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years have settled cases against them under the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 without going before a Fair Employment Tribunal; how many such settlements involved the Labour Relations Agency; what the total cost was to each health trust of such settlements in each year; and what the legal costs involved were.

Angela Smith: The most readily available figures relate to those financial years as set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Trust 1999–2000 2000–01 2002–02 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin Hospitals Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 Armagh and Dungannon Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 Belfast City Hospital 1 1 2 
			 LRA involvement No Yes No 
			 Total cost(32) £2,000 £5,000 £3,250 
			 Legal costs (33)n/a (33)n/a (32)£3,231 
			   
			 Causeway HSS TrustLRA involvementTotal cost(32)Legal costs One case only during this period  settled with a confidentiality clause, no LRA involvement and £200 legal  costs 
			 
			  Craigavon and Banbridge CommunityNil 1 Nil 
			 LRA involvement Nil No Nil 
			 Total cost(32) Nil £2,500 Nil 
			 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Not available 2 Nil 
			 LRA involvement Not available No Nil 
			 Total cost(32) Not available £1,250 Nil 
			 Legal costs Not available £2,375 Nil 
			 
			 Down Lisburn Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 Foyle Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 Green Park Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 Homefirst Community Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 Mater Infirmorum Hospital Nil 1 Nil 
			 LRA involvement Nil Yes Nil 
			 Total cost(32) Nil £1,500 Nil 
			 Legal costs Nil Nil Nil 
			 Newry and Mourne Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 North and West Belfast Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			   
			 Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Nil 1 1 
			 LRA involvement Nil No No 
			 Total cost(32) Nil £22,000 £1,000 
			 Legal costs Nil £13,159 £3,051 
			 
			 Royal Group of HospitalsLRA involvement Total cost(32) Legal costs Two cases in 1999–2000, one of which involved the LRA. Total cost of settlements £19,000 and £2,320 barrister's fees for one of the cases(34) 
			 
			 South and East Belfast — 2 1 
			 LRA involvement — No No 
			 Total cost(32) — £52,000 £6,268 
			 Legal costs — (33)n/a (33)n/a 
			 
			 Sperrin Lakeland Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust Nil return Nil return Nil return 
			 
			 United Hospitals Nil return Nil return Nil return 
		
	
	(32) Council legal costs only
	(33) Legal costs not recorded separately against these cases
	(34) It is not possible to give details of all legal costs as the management of such applications are dealt with under a block contract with legal advisers

Fair Employment

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of the cases taken against health and social services trusts under the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 involved settlements; how many involved the use of the Health and Personal Social Services Superannuation Scheme; and what the total cost was to the scheme for each trust involved for each year in question.

Angela Smith: The Department is not aware of any of the cases taken against health and social services trusts under the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 which involved settlements involving the use of the Health and Personal Social Services Superannuation Scheme.

Fair Employment

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under which regulations governing the Health and Personal Social Services Superannuation Scheme the practice of using premature retirement under the Scheme to settle Fair Employment Tribunal cases is permitted.

Angela Smith: The HPSS Superannuation Scheme Regulations provide that a member of the HPSS Superannuation Scheme, who is age 50 or over and has five years qualifying service, is entitled to superannuation benefits if their employment is terminated by their employer on grounds of redundancy (including organisation change) or in the interests of the efficiency of the service. Compensation benefits are normally payable in these circumstances under the HPSS Compensation for Premature Retirement Regulations.
	The Department is not aware of any practice of using premature retirement under the Scheme to settle Fair Employment Tribunal cases.

Housing

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on (a) maintenance and repairs and (b) new build by (i) the Housing Executive and (ii) housing associations in North Belfast in each year since 1997.

John Spellar: The Housing Executive's maintenance, repair and new build expenditure for North Belfast is not held by parliamentary constituency but equates approximately to Housing Executive Districts 4 and 6. The information is as follows:
	
		Districts 4 and 6 -- £ 000
		
			  Maintenance Repair New build 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,729 9,406 2,982 
			 1998–99 2,438 12,901 2,569 
			 1999–2000 4,041 9,522 2,195 
			 2000–01 3,786 8,459 503 
			 2001–02 1,971 10,824 245 
			 2002–03 3,235 9,702 152

Occupational Therapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients within the (a) Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust and (b) Causeway Trust catchment areas are awaiting occupational therapy assessment.

Angela Smith: At 31 March 2003, the latest date for which figures are available, there were (a) 362 patients within the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust catchment area and (b) 670 patients within the Causeway Trust catchment area waiting for occupational therapy assessment.

Official Spelling

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy that official (a) correspondence, (b) reports and (c) documentation from his office uses the English spelling of words where this differs from the US version.

Paul Murphy: It is already our general practice to do so, underpinned by efforts to ensure that the quality of all our written work is high and is in plain written English.

Waste Reduction

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact of the Retail Charter on the volume of plastic bags used in supermarkets in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Retail Partnership Charter, which involves most of the major retailers in Northern Ireland, was launched in October 2002 as part of Phase 2 of the 'Wake up to Waste' campaign. The purpose of the Charter is to reduce waste produced by retailers and consumers. Its commitments included: promoting the 'reduce, re-use, recycle' message to staff and customers; reducing the use of plastic bags; providing recycling collection points; and implementing best practice throughout all business operations.
	The Department is currently evaluating Phase 2 of the campaign, which concluded on 31 March 2003. The report, which will be available next month, will provide information on the impact of the initiative on consumer behaviour, including the use of plastic bags. I will arrange for the hon. Member to receive the findings of the report.

Police

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of (a) the police force of the Irish Republic and (b) other foreign police services have been (i) recruited and (ii) seconded to the PSNI since the name of the police was changed.

Jane Kennedy: No officers from the Garda Siochana or foreign police services have been recruited or seconded to PSNI.

Police

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of (a) ethnic minorities, (b) women, (c) Roman Catholics and (d) others have been recruited into the PSNI since the name of the police was changed.

Jane Kennedy: Numbers of ethnic minorities, women, Roman Catholics and others recruited to the PSNI to date are as follows:
	
		
			 Group Number 
		
		
			 Ethnic minorities 1 
			 Female 258 
			 Roman Catholic 400 
			 Others 377

Police

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Roman Catholics and (b) others have been rejected for admission to the suitably qualified pool for recruitment to the PSNI.

Jane Kennedy: Excluding those who were not eligible due to age, citizenship, non completion of forms or who withdrew or did not attend the initial interview to date, a total of 4,066 Roman Catholics and 7,258 others have been rejected for admission to the suitable pool for recruitment.

Police HQ, Armagh

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when a report under the Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations was submitted to the Health and Safety Executive concerning asbestos contamination at the regional police headquarters in Armagh; and what action has been taken by the HSE as a result.

Ian Pearson: The limited scale of this asbestos contamination incident meant that it was not reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997. However, the Police Federation passed details to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) on 10 August 1998. HSENI's subsequent investigation confirmed a limited release of asbestos fibres in an unoccupied basement room used to store police files. Although HSENI was satisfied with the remedial action taken to deal with the contamination it did follow up with the police authority to ensure that suitable procedures for identifying the presence of asbestos containing materials were put in place and applied across the police authority estate.

Sickness Absence

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the rate of sickness absence was (excluding maternity leave) of female teachers in publicly funded schools in Northern Ireland in the academic year September 2001 to August 2002; and how many teachers in publicly funded schools in Northern Ireland were dismissed for absenteeism in the academic year September 2001 to August 2002.

Jane Kennedy: Information in relation to teachers employed in voluntary grammar schools is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In February 2002, there were 12,624 female teachers employed in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland other than in voluntary grammar schools. Of these, 8,183 were absent for reasons of sickness for a total of 122,090 days. This is equivalent to 9.7 days per female teacher employed.
	Chief Executives of the five education and library boards and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools have advised that no teachers in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland (excluding voluntary grammar schools) were dismissed for absenteeism in the 2001–02 academic year.

Housing Support Services

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the implementation and operation of the Supporting People initiative; how many complaints have been received about the initiative; how many people are employed in administering the scheme; and whether it has achieved its objectives in terms of targeting the individuals who should benefit from it.

John Spellar: The Supporting People initiative has been operating successfully since its introduction on 1 April 2003, providing assistance for approximately 12,000 service users in 850 supported housing schemes; the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which is responsible for the administration of the scheme, has received just one formal complaint about the operation of the initiative; there are 25 people working on the administration of the scheme in the Housing Executive; and the scheme has achieved its objectives in terms of ensuring that those who were eligible for free housing support services under the old arrangements continue to receive these services.

Teachers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers in publicly funded schools in Northern Ireland were found, on the initiative of their employer, not to satisfy the health requirements for teaching in each of the education and library boards and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools in the academic year September 2001 to August 2002.

Jane Kennedy: In the academic year September 2001 to August 2002 a total of 57 teachers were found not to satisfy the health requirements for teaching on the initiative of the five education and library boards and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools. These were distributed as follows:
	
		Teachers not satisfying health requirements September 2001 to August 2002
		
			 Education and Library Boards Number 
		
		
			 Belfast 4 
			 Western 5 
			 North-eastern 26 
			 South-eastern 13 
			 Southern 3 
			  
			 CCMS 6

Teachers

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of applications for infirmity pension from the Northern Ireland Teachers Pension Scheme were successful in the academic year September 2001 to August 2002.

Jane Kennedy: In the academic year September 2001 to August 2002, the Northern Ireland Teachers' Superannuation Scheme received 174 applications for ill health pensions and 95.4 per cent. of these were successful.

Teachers

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many primary schools in each education and library boards have lost teacher posts in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The requested information is available only for the period 1999–2000 to 2001–02. The number of primary schools where the count of full-time equivalent teachers fell is shown in the following table. For completeness the number of schools where the count of full-time equivalent teachers rose is also given.
	
		Primary schools
		
			 Education and Number of schools losingposts Number of schools gainingposts 
			 Library BoardArea 1999–2000 to 2000–01 2000–01to 2001–02 1999–2000 to 2000–01 2000–01to 2001–02 
		
		
			 Belfast 42 46 35 29 
			 Western 56 58 51 66 
			 North-eastern 86 65 71 105 
			 South-eastern 60 54 86 87 
			 Southern 100 100 83 70

Telecommunications Masts

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he will take to introduce new legislation in respect of telecommunications masts to implement the recommendations contained in the Stewart Report of May 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Following the publication of the Stewart Report, the Department of the Environment issued a consultation paper in November 2000 on planning control for telecommunications development.
	In response to the consultation, the Department for Environment is following the precautionary approach in line with the recommendations contained in the Stewart Report, and the Department's new policy for telecommunications development is set out in Planning Policy Statement 10, which was published in April 2002.
	As regards the legislative changes, a Statutory Rule, which came into operation in June 2002, removed certain permitted development planning rights from telecommunications code system operators. The effect of this change was to subject development proposals for mobile phone masts and antenna to the full rigour of the normal planning process. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that has fully implemented this recommendation. The much stricter ICNIRP public exposure guidelines have now also been adopted throughout the UK.
	In view of this approach there are no plans at present to introduce further new legislation in respect of telecommunications masts.
	The Department is closely monitoring ongoing research in conjunction with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and will of course review planning controls and the advice contained in PPS 10 should this prove necessary.

Urban II Initiative

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress on the Urban II Initiative for North Belfast.

John Spellar: The Urban II Programme is a European Union Community Initiative totalling £10.6 million which aims to target social and economic deprivation in inner North Belfast.
	The programme has three priorities and a number of measures under each priority. Priorities 1 and 2 are for applications from groups. Priority 3 is solely for programme support costs. With the exception of Measure 1.1 all the programme measures have been opened for applications.
	Priority 1 Physical Resources
	Measure 1.1 Sharing Places
	This measure is still under development.
	Measure 1.2 Physical Opportunity
	A total of 35 applications have been received under this measure.
	Measure 1.3 Environmental Improvement
	A total of seven applications have been received and these are currently being assessed.

Victoria Square (Redevelopment)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice from DoE conservation and heritage officials was conveyed to the Northern Ireland Environment Minister prior to her decisions to approve the Victoria Square retail scheme and permit the demolition of the Kitchen Bar.

Angela Smith: I was comprehensively briefed on all of the conservation and heritage aspects of this proposed retail scheme prior to making my decisions.
	In assessing the proposal, I concluded that the regeneration benefits to the City Centre, in line with the Regional Development Strategy and the Belfast Urban Area Plan, outweighed the loss of the Kitchen Bar and other buildings in the Conservation Area, and that, on balance, the regenerative benefits to the City Centre outweighed the losses to the built heritage.
	Regeneration of the City Centre through investment will, by breathing life into areas in decline, provide a firmer foundation for revitalising and securing the future of the City Centre's built heritage.

PRIME MINISTER

Government Reshuffles

Graham Allen: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to make a statement to the House on Cabinet reshuffles no later than when he informs the press of them.

Tony Blair: I act in accordance with the way previous Prime Ministers have conducted their reshuffles.

Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Environment

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister which Minister will chair the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Environment.

Tony Blair: Following the Cabinet Reshuffle, I am reviewing the composition and chairmanship of Cabinet Committees, and details will be available in due course. However in this case I can confirm that it will be the Minister of State (Environment and Agri-environment), Elliot Morley.

Gender Reassignation

Tim Boswell: To ask the Prime Minister which Government department is responsible for issues involving gender reassignation.

Tony Blair: The Department for Constitutional Affairs has policy responsibility for gender reassignation.

IAEA Inspectors

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the reasons underlying his support for the G8 summit declaration calling for the return of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to North Korea and Iran to carry out verification of nuclear sites and activities.

Tony Blair: It has always been, and continues to be, the policy of this Government to seek to resolve issues of this nature through dialogue. The first step in establishing a dialogue with North Korea and Iran on their nuclear programmes must be through encouraging them to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspection of all of their facilities and programmes.

IAEA Inspectors

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out the reasons why he has opposed the return of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to Iraq to carry out verification of nuclear sites and activities.

Tony Blair: The United Kingdom has not opposed the return of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to Iraq. The UK played a leading role in drafting UN Security Council Resolution 1483 which specifically tasks the Security Council to review the mandates of both the IAEA and UNMOVIC inspection organisations. This work will be undertaken in due course by the Security Council.

India/Pakistan (Nuclear Weapons)

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what matters in respect of nuclear weapons were discussed in his meeting with India's Deputy Prime Minister Advani on 16 June; and whether he pressed for India to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty;
	(2)  what matters in respect of nuclear weapons were discussed in his meeting with President Musharraf of Pakistan on 17 June; and whether he pressed for Pakistan to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Tony Blair: I discussed with President Musharraf the issue of WMD proliferation.
	Although I did not raise this issue on this occasion with Deputy Prime Minister Avani, both the Indian and Pakistani Governments are aware of our continuing support for UN Security Council Resolution 1172 which calls upon both countries to accede to both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty immediately and without conditions. We regularly press both countries to abide by all the obligations placed upon them by this Resolution.

Intelligence

Gregory Barker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 10 June, Official Report, column 717W, on intelligence, if he will set up a leak inquiry to determine the source of the leaks relating to the Iraq dossier.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add to my previous answer.

Iraq

Graham Allen: To ask the Prime Minister when he first received a request from the US administration for military assistance in a war against Iraq.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence gave in the House on 25 November 2002, Official Report, column 126.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister whether apprehended former Iraqi Government (a) ministers and (b) officials are being held (i) under British custody and (ii) by the United States at Guantanamo Bay.

Tony Blair: Iraqi prisoners of war are being held in Iraq under the custody of the Coalition. All prisoners of war are being treated in accordance with international law.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister who the members are of the newly formed Iraq Survey Group; what the relevant experience is of each member; to whom the group will be responsible; and whether honourable Members will have the opportunity to examine the reports produced by the survey group.

Tony Blair: The Iraq Survey Group (ISG) is a joint US, UK and Australian operation comprising around 1,400 people. The ISG is commanded by Major General Keith Dayton (US), with Brigadier John Deverell (UK) as his deputy. The Group's first priority is the search for, and elimination, of Weapons of Mass Destruction, but, in addition, will collect information relating to terrorism, war crimes, prisoners of war and other material relating to suspect activities of the former regime.
	The Group is able to draw on personnel from a range of UK, US and Australian military and civilian organisations, and will include former UNSCOM inspectors.
	As I have already made clear we are going to assemble evidence of Iraq's WMD and present it properly to people at the appropriate time.

Suez Medal

Bob Russell: To ask the Prime Minister [pursuant to his answer of 11 June, Official Report, column 869W], on the Suez Medal, when he expects the General Service Medal will be presented; what the arrangements are for applications to be made for the medal; and what arrangements have been made for a presentation ceremony.

Tony Blair: The next step is for the eligibility criteria to be approved by HM The Queen and for the medal to be minted. I hope that this can be done shortly.
	Once the qualifying criteria have been agreed, the Ministry of Defence will make an announcement setting out the arrangements for applying for and receiving the medal.

TREASURY

Accounting Officers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions since 13 January he has been informed of a minister issuing a direction to an accounting officer as set out in paragraphs 14 to 17 of the Treasury document, The Responsibilities of an Accounting Officer; on which grounds the note of dissent was issued; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Treasury has been informed of one direction issued under the procedures set out in paragraphs 14 to 17 of the Treasury document "The Responsibilities of an Accounting Officer", since the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 13 January 2003, Official Report, column 413W. The direction was issued by the Department of Trade and Industry on value for money grounds, in respect of Regional Selective Assistance.

Births (Congenital Anomalies)

Julia Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many notifications there were of babies born with congenital anomalies in England and Wales in 2002; how many had (a) central nervous system anomalies, (b) cleft lip and/or palate, (c) anomalies of the heart and circulatory system, (d) anomalies of the alimentary system, (e) anomalies of the genital organ, (f) anomalies of the urinary system, (g) anomalies of the musculoskeletal system including limb reductions, (h) Down syndrome and (i) other chromosomal anomalies; and if he will make a statement about trends over the past 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Julia Drown, dated 23 June 2003
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the number of notifications of babies born with congenital anomalies in England and Wales in 2002 and the trends over the past 10 years. (120164)
	The latest available figures are for 2001.
	The attached table shows the numbers and notification rates for babies born in England and Wales with selected conditions from 1992 to 2001 inclusive. Prior to 1995, notification of babies to the National Congenital Anomaly System (NCAS) was confined to 10 days from birth. The removal of this restriction resulted in an increase in the notifications of all congenital anomalies in 1995. Reporting to the NCAS is voluntary and since 1998 regions with local registers have exchanged information with the NCAS, leading to more complete notification. This has resulted in a large increase in notification rates for several types of anomalies since 1998.
	
		Number of babies born in England and Wales with selected conditions and rates per 10,000 total live and stillbirths, 1992–2001
		
			  1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 
			  No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate 
		
		
			 All babies with congenital anomalies notified 6,096 88.0 5,750 84.9 5,610 84.0 5,847 89.8 5,987 91.7 
			 Central nervous system(35) 316 4.6 273 4.0 264 4.0 257 3.9 254 3.9 
			 Cleft lip and/or palate(36) 731 10.6 657 9.7 629 9.4 592 9.1 588 9.0 
			 Anomalies of the heart and circulatory system(37) 446 6.4 432 6.4 447 6.7 602 9.2 680 10.4 
			 Anomalies of the alimentary system (excluding cleft lip and/or palate)(38) 271 3.9 275 4.1 221 3.3 290 4.5 270 4.1 
			 Anomalies of the genital organ(39) 663 9.6 661 9.8 649 9.7 616 9.5 681 10.4 
			 Anomalies of the urinary system(40) 362 5.2 371 5.5 348 5.2 407 6.2 406 6.2 
			 Anomalies of the musculoskeletal system including limb reductions(41) 2,524 36.5 2,428 35.9 2,320 34.7 2,275 34.9 2,173 33.3 
			 Down syndrome(42) 394 5.7 311 4.6 317 4.7 320 4.9 359 5.5 
			 Other chromosomal anomalies(43) 120 1.7 113 1.7 111 1.7 120 1.8 145 2.2 
		
	
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 
			  No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate 
		
		
			 All babies with congenital anomalies notified 5,951 92.1 6,254 97.9 7,471 119.6 7,979 131.4 7,271 121.7 
			 Central nervous system(35) 223 3.5 287 4.5 301 4.8 386 6.4 345 5.8 
			 Cleft lip and/or palate(36) 581 9.0 594 9.3 585 9.4 596 9.8 560 9.4 
			 Anomalies of the heart and circulatory system(37) 653 10.1 861 13.5 983 15.7 1,360 22.4 1,128 18.9 
			 Anomalies of the alimentary system (excluding cleft lip and/or palate)(38) 255 3.9 293 4.6 374 6.0 457 7.5 342 5.7 
			 Anomalies of the genital organ(39) 651 10.1 670 10.5 751 12.0 831 13.7 737 12.3 
			 Anomalies of the urinary system(40) 504 7.8 542 8.5 639 10.2 788 13.0 706 11.8 
			 Anomalies of the musculoskeletal system including limb reductions(41) 2,176 33.7 2,219 34.7 2,610 41.8 2,554 42.1 2,408 40.3 
			 Down syndrome(42) 417 6.5 458 7.2 427 6.8 414 6.8 378 6.3 
			 Other chromosomal anomalies(43) 133 2.1 156 2.4 203 3.2 233 3.8 213 3.6 
		
	
	(35) Central nervous system was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 320 to 359 and 740 to 742, for the years 1992 to 1994 and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes GO4.0, G12.0, G12.9, G40.9, G60.0, G62.9, G70.9, G71.1, G71.2, G80.9, G83.2, G93.0, G93.1 and Q00 TO Q07, for the years 1995 to 2001.
	(36) Cleft lip and/or palate was defined using ICD-9 codes 7490 to 7492 for the years 1992 to 1994 and ICD-10 codes Q35 to Q37 for the years 1995 to 2001.
	(37) Anomalies of the heart and circulatory system was defined using ICD-9 codes 390 to 459 and 745–747 for the years 1992 to 1994 and ICD-10 codes 145.6, 147.1, 149.1, M30.3 and Q20 to Q28 for the years 1995 to 2001.
	(38) Anomalies of the alimentary system was defined using ICD-9 codes 7503, 7512, 530–539 (except 550 to 553), 7504, 7505, 7507 to 7511 and 7513 to 7519 for the years 1992 to 1994 and ICD-10 codes K74.0, K80.2, Q38 to Q45 and R14 for the years 1995 to 2001.
	(39) Anomalies of the genital organ was defined using ICD-9 codes 7526, 7525, 7528, 7786, 7520 to 7524, 7527 for the years 1992 to 1994 and ICD-10 codes N47, N89.8 and Q50-Q56 for the years 1995 to 2001. Prior to 1995, using ICD-9 hypospadias and epispadias were coded as 7526. Following implementation of ICD-10, hypospadias and epispadias were coded separately as Q54 and Q64.0 and grouped into anomalies of the genital organ and anomalies of the urinary system, respectively. In this table hypospadias and epispadias are included in the anomalies for genital organ to allow for trend analysis over the past 10 years.
	(40) Anomalies of the urinary system was defined using ICD-9 codes 580 to 608, 614 to 629, 7529, 7530, 7531, 7532, 7533, 7534, 7535 and 7536 to 7539 for the years 1992 to 1994 and ICD-10 codes N13.9, N25.8 and Q60 to Q64 for the years 1995 to 2001.
	(41) Anomalies of the musculoskeletal system including limb reductions was defined using ICD-9 codes 7550, 7551, 7552 to 7554, 7545 to 7547, 7543, 7544, 7555, 7556, 7558, 7559,7506, 7566, 524 (excluding 5243), 526, 7445, 7448, 7449, 7480, 7481, 7540, 7560, 754.1, 7542, 7561 to 7563, 7564, 7565, 710 to 739, 7548, 7568, 7569, 5509, 5530 to 5532, 5538, 5539, 7567,527 to 529, 7444, 7500 to 7502 for the years 1992 to 1994 and ICD-10 codes K40 to K46, M21.2, M89.8, P94, and Q65 to Q79 for the years 1995 to 2001.
	(42) Down syndrome was defined using ICD-9 code 7580 for the years 1992 to 1994 and ICD-10 code Q90 for the years 1995 to 2001.
	(43) Other chromosomal anomalies was defined using ICD-9 codes 0 to 139, 290 to 319, 630 to 676 and 759 for the years 1992 and 1994 ICD-10 codes Q91 to Q99 for the years 1995 to 2001.

Customs and Excise

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many frontline Customs officers will be remaining in Wales following the proposed operational changes to primary use of the National Strike Force; and where they will be based.

John Healey: Modern criminals are well orgainised, well financed and highly adaptable and use ever more sophisticated methods. To tackle them, Customs is continuing to develop a more skilled, flexible and keenly targeted organisation, replacing predictable and often unproductive activities.
	Under Customs proposals, a permanent law enforcement presence will be maintained at Holyhead, Swansea and Cardiff. Customs law enforcement activity throughout Wales and the West Midlands will be by targeted, flexible and less predictable attendance, in variable numbers, drawn from a contingent of approximately 100 Detection and 215 investigation officers based in Wales: Bristol and the West Midlands. They will be directed and supported by intelligence resources located within analytical teams, joint intelligence cells and central teams based in Wales, elsewhere in the UK and in key strategic locations overseas. Over and above the purely regional resources in Wales and the West Midlands, Customs can call on additional resources from the 120 strong National Strike Force. This capability to conduct intelligence-based targeted operations of greater intensity will help provide a real deterrent to serious criminals—not only professional smugglers and bootleggers—and will better safeguard communities throughout Wales.

Equity Release Schemes (Northern Ireland)

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason equity release schemes are not available in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: We are aware of no impediment to the sale of equity release plans in Northern Ireland.

Euro

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost has been of preparations for British membership of the euro; and what the estimated future cost is of such preparations.

Paul Boateng: Details of expenditure on euro preparations were included in the third outline National Changeover Plan, published on 9 June 2003. Copies of the document are in the Library of the House.

Financial Services Ombudsman

Phil Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statutory powers he has to review decisions taken by the financial services Ombudsman.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 23 June 2003
	Treasury ministers have no statutory powers to review decisions taken by the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Illegal Immigrants (Wales)

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times in the past two years Customs officers based in Swansea and Pembroke have been involved with immigration officials in detecting illegal immigrants.

John Healey: Over the past two years, the Customs Officers based at Swansea and at Pembroke have not detected any illegal immigrants at Swansea. Last year Customs teams based in Pembroke took part in a 3-day exercise with HM Immigration at Fishguard during which a number of illegal immigrants were detected.

Independent Financial Advisers

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Independent Financial Advisers are operating in the United Kingdom; and how many Independent Financial Advisers had confirmed that they had obtained professional indemnity cover, as at 30 May 2003.

Paul Boateng: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) tell me that between 1 September 2002 and 31 May 2003 2,911 Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) were due to renew their Professional Indemnity (PI) cover. 2,001 IFAs have confirmed that they have done so and 116 have been granted a waiver of the requirement to have PI cover because they have adequate resources.
	The FSA is in discussion with the other firms, and works with them to find a solution in light of their individual circumstances.
	IFAs may be reluctant to confirm that they have PI cover until they have a policy document, even if they have agreed terms. This means that the reported position can appear less positive than it is.
	Last month the FSA authorised a new insurance company that intends to provide cover for IFAs. The FSA also published a consultation paper on its future PI policy in February 2003 and is currently analysing the responses. The FSA is in ongoing discussions with IFAs, PI insurers, PI brokers and other interested parties about the situation in the PI market.

Inflation Measures

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the occasions since January 2000 in which a HICP target of 2 per cent. plus or minus 1 per cent. would have failed to have been met, and would have occasioned a letter from the Governor of the Bank of England; and what conclusions he draws about such a target for the conduct of UK monetary policy.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 19 June 2003
	The Monetary Policy Committee's target since 1997 has been RPIX inflation of 2½ per cent. Since 1997 the Governor has not had cause to write a letter because inflation has not deviated from the target by more than 1 percentage point.
	In his statement on 9 June, the Chancellor said that, the advantage of the internationally recognised index of consumer prices—HICP—is that it is a better measure, will improve the quality of our target, is in line with best international practice and is used by every other G7 nation but Japan and by our neighbours in Europe.

National Insurance Contributions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of national insurance contribution being collected which is attributable to benefits in kind in the form of payment by employers of employees' London congestion charges.

John Healey: The information on which to base an estimate is not available.

Port/Airport Security

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on recent increases of security at ports and airports to counter illegal imports of meat.

John Healey: Following a Cabinet Office Review, which reported in November 2002, into the organisation of controls on products of animal origin, fish, plants and forestry products, responsibility for anti-smuggling activities relating to illegal imports of meat arriving from third countries was transferred to Customs on 11 April.
	Customs will receive £4m of new Government investment in 2003–04 which will enable it to:
	Establish four new flexibly deployed strike force teams that can be mobilised to respond quickly to identified threats anywhere in the UK.
	Expand the detector dog programme from two to six.
	Provide extra intelligence activity.
	Provide publicity in ports and airports in the UK and overseas.
	Customs' new role, together with the measures to be taken by other agencies, is described in the 'Government Action Plan 2003–2004 on Illegal Imports of Meat, Other Animal Products, Plants and Plant Products' which was published on 17 June. The Plan is available on the Defra website: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/illegali.

Single Currency

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 16 June 2003, Official Report, column 38W, on the euro, where in his statement of 9 June he set out the reasons for deciding that it is not necessary to rejoin the ERM before joining the euro.

Paul Boateng: I refer the hon. Member to the comments made by the Chancellor to the Treasury Committee on 27 February 2003 (HC 187–11, 1075–1077).

Single Currency

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost has been of the various ministerial road-shows to promote the euro to (a) the Treasury and (b) other departments since 1997.

Paul Boateng: The arrangements for any events taking place on EMU adhered strictly to the published Ministerial Code. The Code governs the boundary between the legitimate presentation of Government policy, for which Government resources can be used, and party political activities, for which they cannot.

Single Currency

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the final changes were made to the 18 EMU studies which accompanied the Treasury's assessment of the five economic tests.

Paul Boateng: The 18 EMU studies were circulated to the Cabinet on 17 May 2003.

Suicide Statistics

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many suicides there were of (a) males and (b) females aged (i) under 16, (ii) between 16 and 18 and (iii) between 18 and 21 years in each of the past five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Hendry, dated 23 June 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question the number of suicides for (a) males and (b) females aged (i) under 16, (ii) between 16 and 18 and (iii) between 18 and 21 years in each of the past five years. (120586)
	The most recent available data are for deaths occurring in the calendar year 2001. Figures for each year from 1997 to 2001 are given in the attached table.
	
		Number of deaths from intentional self harm(44) and injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted(45), by sex and age. England and Wales, 1997 to 2001(46)
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 (a) Males  
			 (i) 13–15  
			 Intentional self harm 3 4 4 7 6 
			 Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted 10 6 2 12 5 
			 Total 13 10 6 19 11 
			 (ii) 16–17  
			 Intentional self harm 19 24 19 24 17 
			 Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted 18 20 20 14 20 
			 Total 37 44 39 38 37 
			 (iii) 18–21  
			 Intentional self harm 142 126 126 117 114 
			 Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted 91 67 50 61 72 
			 Total 233 193 176 178 186 
			 (b) Females  
			 (i) 13–15  
			 Intentional self harm 3 3 2 2 2 
			 Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted 3 1 4 4 4 
			 Total 6 4 6 6 6 
			 (ii) 16–17  
			 Intentional self harm 9 7 10 9 3 
			 Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted 9 9 8 6 6 
			 Total 18 16 18 15 9 
			 (iii) 18–21  
			 Intentional self harm 28 31 23 38 13 
			 Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted 15 20 19 17 19 
			 Total 43 51 42 55 36 
		
	
	(44) The cause of death for intentional self harm was defined using the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E950-E959 for the years 1997 to 2000, and, for the year 2001, the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84.
	(45) The cause of death for injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E980-E989 excluding E988.8 for the years 1997 to 2000, and, for the year 2001, the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10 codes Y10-Y34 excluding Y33.9 where the Coroner's verdict was pending. It is assumed likely that most of these deaths at ages over 13 are cases where the harm is self-inflicted but there was insufficient evidence to prove that the deceased deliberately intended to kill themselves. As there were no intentional self harm deaths on children under the age of 13, data for undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted have not been included.
	(46) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year from 1997 to 2001.

Risk Controls

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on controlling risk in financial markets in the UK.

Paul Boateng: The Government established the Financial Services Authority to regulate the operation of financial markets in the UK, including how they manage risk. The Financial Services Authority also working through a standing Committee, has joint responsibility along with the Bank of England and HM Treasury for addressing issues which may have implications for financial stability in the UK.

Sunset Clauses

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to include a sunset clause in all new legislation promoted by his department unless a specific case can be made to exclude a sunset clause.

Paul Boateng: It would be inappropriate to include a sunset clause in all legislation. The need to legislate repeatedly on the same subject matter would increase uncertainty for those who are affected by the legislation. The use of sunset clauses is therefore best assessed on a case-by-case basis.

VAT (Museums, Galleries and Zoos)

Jim Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the proposed changes to the national scheme to refund national museums and galleries the VAT they incur on purchases when they allow free admissions to the public, originally noted in Budget 2001, HC279, paragraphs 5.97 and 5.98.

John Healey: The Section 33A VAT refund scheme for those main national museums and galleries to which the Government are committed to ensure free access came into effect in September 2001. Paragraph 5.87 of the 2002 Economic and Fiscal Strategy report (HC 592) described the success of the scheme in achieving free access to all those main national museums and galleries. The scheme is continuing to operate successfully and there are no plans to change it.

VAT (Museums, Galleries and Zoos)

Jim Knight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what implications the recent judgment of the European Court of Justice in the case Customs v the Zoological Society of London (Case C-267/00) has for the way zoos, museums and similar bodies are required to account for VAT on their admission charges; and whether Customs has issued guidance on this issue.

John Healey: HM Customs and Excise are assessing the impact of this judgment. In the meantime, Customs will continue to look into the circumstances of any individual bodies who feel they may be affected by this judgment on a case-by-case basis. Guidance on the exemption from VAT for these bodies is contained in Customs' Public Notice 701/47, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Advertising

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total expenditure on advertising by the Department was in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what the level of planned expenditure is for (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Work and Pensions has spent the following sums on advertising to inform the public on its rights, entitlements and responsibilities: £11.3 million in 2001–02 and £8 million in 2002–03.
	For 2003–04 the figure for major advertising campaigns is likely to rise. This is because a number of key welfare reforms will start to impact directly on the public during this year and campaigns are needed to ensure that the public are aware of their rights and responsibilities. These are expected to include: Pension Credit, Direct Payment, New Deal targeting benefit fraud.
	However media schedules are currently being finalised so it is not possible to give figures at this stage.
	We are currently planning advertising for 2004–05 and are as yet unable to give indicative costs.

Advice Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultations he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with independent housing advice agencies about their engagement in the new advice services for older people.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has been in contact with many service providers, eg Department of Health, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, local authorities and the voluntary sector (Age Concern, RNIB, Citizens Advice) assessing current services and identifying opportunities for integration. There have been consultations at a national level with Shelter and Citizens Advice, and meetings are on-going to ascertain the views of as many interested parties as possible.
	At a local level, The Pension Service are currently engaged with a number of information and advice providers on housing related matters in relation to the Supporting People initiative. Over the coming months we would expect this involvement to strengthen and deepen.

Benefits

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if it is his policy to make regular deductions from benefits payments of people in receipt of certain benefits (a) to repay debt and (b) to pay for current energy consumption.

Maria Eagle: The Third Party Deduction Scheme provides protection as a last resort for vulnerable people with fuel debt who are threatened with the disconnection of a fuel supply.
	Deductions may be made from income support or, in some cases, from jobseeker's allowance, for both arrears and current fuel consumption. These deductions are paid direct to the fuel supplier until the debt is cleared. Where people have a history of chronic mismanagement of fuel or utility bills, deductions may continue for current consumption. Either the benefit recipient who has accrued fuel arrears or their supplier may ask to take part in the scheme.

Benefits

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 3 June 2003, ref 115520, what plans he has to institute mechanisms for the collection of information on (a) the numbers of claimants delayed from claiming benefits in the previous 12 months because the nature of their incapacity prevented them from claiming and (b) how long that delay was.

Des Browne: There is a three-month time limit for claiming incapacity benefit, and a rule whereby a claim for income support can be backdated for up to three months where the person making the claim is ill or disabled (and it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain help in making the claim earlier). These rules make the system relatively simple to operate and for people to understand, while also emphasising the importance of people making their claims promptly.
	We have no plans to extend benefit claim forms in order to gather information about those for whom there has been a delay in making a claim. However, we are in the process of amending the claim forms for incapacity benefits (SC1, SSP1 and IB (Y)) to include more information about the time limits for claiming.

Child Support Agency

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many advance payments have been made by the Child Support Agency in the last year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Edwards, dated June 2003
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You ask how many advance payments have been made by the Child Support Agency in the last year for which figures are available.
	During the year 2002/03 the Agency made 2,527 advance payments.

Child Support Agency

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administration costs for each business unit of the Child Support Agency were in the last two years for which figures are available; and how much child support was distributed in each business unit area in the same period.

Maria Eagle: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Peter Duncan, dated 23 June 2003
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You ask what the administration costs for each business unit of the Child Support Agency were in the last two years for which figures are available; and how much child support was distributed in each business unit area in the same period.
	I am unable to provide you with figures for 2000–01 or earlier years but can provide figures for 2001–02. These are:
	
		Child Support Agency administration costs -- £ million
		
			 Business Units Administration costs Child support distributed 
		
		
			 Scotland and north-east 28.2 96.1 
			 Eastern 31.4 89.7 
			 Midlands 24.9 72.4 
			 Wales and north-west 25.1 84.2 
			 South-east 21.3 79.8 
			 South-west 23.1 89.4 
			 Total 154.0 511.6 
		
	
	I will shortly have figures for 2002–03 and will let you have these when they are available.

Energy Efficiency

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets his Department has for improving energy efficiency; and how he intends to achieve these targets.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 580W.

Health and Safety

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions for breaches of Health and Safety legislation in Bedfordshire took place in (a) 2002 and (b) each of the preceding three years.

Des Browne: The information is in the table.
	
		Number of health and safety at work prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities in Bedfordshire
		
			 Year(47) Separate offences prosecuted 
		
		
			 2001–02(48) 26. 
			 2000–01 23 
			 1999–2000 8 
			 1998–99 23 
		
	
	(47) The annual basis is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March.
	(48) HSE figure only. Figures for local authorities will be available in July 2003.

Health and Safety

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the funding for the Health and Safety Executive in (a) 2003–04 and (b) each of the last three years.

Des Browne: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  (49)Budget (£ million) 
		
		
			 2000–01(50) 181.3 
			 2001–02(51) 199.4 
			 2002–03 210.4 
			 2003–04 225.5 
		
	
	(49) The funding has been interpreted as the total amount voted by Parliament.
	(50) The budget for 2000–01 was the last under the cash budget system.
	(51) The increase in the funding was due to the introduction/implementation of Resource Accounting and Budgeting in Government Departments. Under RAB, all departments produce budgets and accounts on an accruals basis, which include costs for depreciation, cost of capital and provisions for liabilities.

Health and Safety

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work-related (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries occurred in North East Bedfordshire in (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) 1999–2000.

Des Browne: Information for North East Bedfordshire is not available.
	
		Table 1: The number of fatal and major injuries reported to HSE in the local authority area of Mid Bedfordshire, 1999–2000 to 2001–02
		
			 Year Fatal injury Major injury 
		
		
			 1999–2000 1 51 
			 2000–01 — 51 
			 2001–02 — 51 
		
	
	
		Table 2: The number of fatal and major injuries reported to local authorities in the local authority area of Mid Bedfordshire, 1999–2000 to 2001–02
		
			 Year Fatal injury Major injury 
		
		
			 1999–2000 — 14 
			 2000–01 — 14 
			 2001–02 — 11 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Fatal and major injuries reported and defined under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995.
	2. The information available under RIDDOR 95 includes three categories of severity, fatal, defined major injuries and other injuries leading to more than three days absence (over-three-day). Fatal and major injury statistics have been provided.
	3. The annual basis is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March.
	4. Statistics relate to workers (which include employees and self-employed people) and members of the public.

Health and Safety

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) work-related deaths and (b) serious work-related injuries there were in Stoke-on-Trent, North in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Information for Stoke-on-Trent, North is not available.
	
		Table 1: The number of fatal and major injuries reported to HSE in the local authority area of Stoke-on-Trent, 1997–98 to 2001–02
		
			  Fatal injury Major injury 
		
		
			 1997–98 1 243 
			 1998–99 4 228 
			 1999–2000 1 214 
			 2000–01 4 189 
			 2001–02 — 193 
		
	
	
		Table 2: The number of fatal and major injuries reported to local authorities in the local authority area of Stoke-on-Trent, 1997–98 to 2001–02
		
			  Fatal injury Major injury 
		
		
			 1997–98 — 40 
			 1998–99 — 50 
			 1999–2000 — 91 
			 2000–01 — 42 
			 2001–02 — 64 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Fatal and major injuries reported and defined under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995.
	2. The information available under RIDDOR 95 includes three categories of severity: fatal, defined major injuries and other injuries leading to more than three days absence (over-three-day). Fatal and major injury statistics have been provided.
	3. The annual basis is the planning year from 1 April to 31 March.
	4. Statistics relate to workers (which include employees and self-employed people) and members of the public.

Housing (Scotland)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Answer of 10 June 2003, Official Report, columns 786–87W, on housing benefit, if he will list the Scottish local authorities for which the figures were estimated.

Malcolm Wicks: The figures provided in the answer of 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 786W, included estimates for east Ayrshire and Glasgow local authorities.

National Insurance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the rules on buying-back past years of full national insurance contributions for married women who have paid the reduced rate.

Malcolm Wicks: Where the National Insurance Contributions Office decides that a married woman seeking advice from departmental officials about her National Insurance contribution choice was given wrong information which led to her electing to pay reduced-rate contributions when it was not beneficial for her to do so, it is their policy to place the woman in the position she would have been if this advice had not been given. This means that she may pay full rate contributions for the affected years. In other circumstances, it is not possible for married women to buy back past years of full rate contributions for periods when they had a valid reduced rate election.
	The married women who opted to pay reduced rate contributions made an informed choice. They were required to give written notice of their decision on a form attached to a leaflet. The leaflet went to great lengths to describe the consequences of that decision and required them to sign a declaration that they had read and understood the leaflet. Employers could not make this decision on behalf of their employees. Women who chose to pay reduced rate National Insurance contributions were given a certificate to give to their employer. An employer was not allowed to deduct reduced rate National Insurance contributions without this certificate. It would be unfair to those married women who chose to pay the full rate contribution to retrospectively put married women who paid the reduced rate contribution in the same position.

National Insurance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have (a) applied for pension credit and (b) registered an interest in applying for the pension credit;
	(2)  how many letters have been sent to pensioners encouraging them to apply for the pension credit; and how many of these letters have received replies;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter that is being sent to pensioners to encourage them to apply for the pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer given by my right. hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Andrew Smith) to the hon. Member for Perth (Ms Annabelle Ewing) on 9 June, Official Report 406, Col 394, 395. Copies of the different versions of the mail packs being sent to pensioner households are in the Library.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were (a) contracted out and (b) not contracted out of the state earnings-related pension scheme or the state second pension in each year since 1994–95.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney) gave him on 26 November 2002, Official Report, columns 210–12W.

Pensions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will propose amendments to section 50 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 to ensure that future pension up-ratings are at least in line with the Retail Prices Index.

Malcolm Wicks: We have already announced that we will increase the basic state pension by 2.5 per cent. or the Retail Prices Index (RPI), whichever is higher, for the remainder of this Parliament. Over the last three years, basic state pension has been increased by more than the RPI.
	Section 150 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 already provides for the Secretary of State to review the amount payable in respect of pensions and to increase them in line with the general level of prices.

Social Enterprise Sector

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to encourage (a) his Department, (b) other Government Departments and (c) local government to increase their purchasing from the social enterprise sector.

Maria Eagle: The Department encourages bids from social enterprises and social firms, especially in the area of the provision of services to help those disadvantaged in the labour market into work.
	Social firms have been particularly successful in the delivery of Workstep services to people with disabilities. In arranging these contracts we have worked closely with a number of local authorities.
	Promotion of social enterprises is a DTI initiative.

Tax Credit Helplines

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees of the Pensions Service are on secondment to the helplines for working tax credit and child tax credit.

Malcolm Wicks: The Pension Service has not loaned any of its staff to the helplines for working tax credit and child tax credit.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Child Access

David Ruffley: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, if he will publish the response to the proposal of Fathers 4 Justice that in proceedings relating to child access a mother who refuses to comply with a court ruling should be subject to a community service order; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Children Act Sub-Committee (CASC) of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Board on Family Law under lord justice Wall published a report last year called "Making Contact Work". The report made a number of recommendations in relation to enforcement of contact orders. This included consideration of the power to impose a community service order when a parent failed to comply with a contact order. As part of the Government's work on responding to the report's proposals, a stakeholder group on facilitation and enforcement of contact was established in June 2002. The group has been considering ways in which parents can be supported to reach workable agreements, how contact might positively be achieved, as well as how enforcement mechanisms can be made more effective. It is anticipated that a full response to the CASC report's recommendations will be published later this summer.

Claims Handling Organisations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement about the consequences for legal services of the collapse of (a) the Accident Group (b) other claims handling organisations.

David Lammy: The move into administration of the Accident Group (TAG) represents a significant individual business failure but it will not prevent people with genuine claims obtaining access to justice. They can do so either by approaching solicitors firms direct or via other accident intermediaries. The Government believe that the personal injury market is able to absorb the loss of TAG as it did previously after the failure of Claims Direct last year and to pick up the bulk of the business.
	Many solicitors have or are forming large marketing networks to pool expertise, raise awareness among consumers and to provide a better service. New intermediaries entering the market are able to do so with better knowledge of how the market works and what lessons need to be learnt from recent business experience. Those who provide funding for intermediaries and after the event insurers are now better placed to ensure adequate due diligence checks are carried out on new business models and existing operations are thoroughly audited.
	We are keeping the personal injury market under review. Claims management companies can provide an efficient and affordable means of handling claims for compensation and help provide access to justice for people with genuine claims. We are working with a range of organisations including the Law Society, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, the General Insurance Council, consumer groups and other organisations including claims management companies to encourage improved standards including voluntary codes. There are already a number of industry initiatives at various stages of development, demonstrating the clear desire on the part of most intermediaries to bring about a step change in behaviours.

European Parliament (Elections)

William Cash: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs whether the 2004 European Parliamentary elections will continue to be counted at a constituency level, before being aggregated regionally; and if she will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: As announced on 6 May 2003, and subject to parliamentary approval, we intend to use the powers currently being sought in the Local Government Bill to move the date of the English local elections in 2004 to 10 June—the same day as the European Parliamentary elections. For this reason, and following informal consultations with the Electoral Commission, electoral administrators and the political parties, we have concluded that the sub-administrative unit for conducting the European Parliamentary elections (including the count) in Great Britain in 2004 should be the local authority area rather than the parliamentary constituency.

European Parliament (Elections)

William Cash: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs what plans the Government has to amend existing election regulations relating to the 2004 European Parliamentary elections; and if she will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: We intend in due course to bring forward for parliamentary approval revised regulations for the conduct of the European Parliamentary elections in 2004. These will take account of changes to electoral legislation since the existing regulations took effect, together with recommendations made in the Home Office review of the 1999 elections. We are also considering whether any further changes to the regulations need to be made. The regulations will be published in draft form before they are laid before Parliament.

Fixed Penalties

Janet Anderson: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs what guidelines he has issued to magistrates courts on invoking a fixed penalty where the offender would be liable to lose his driving licence as a result.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	The fixed penalty system allows a driver to discharge, without a court appearance, any liability he may have to conviction of certain offences, He does so by paying by the charge specified in a fixed penalty notice issued by a police constable and, for an endorsable offence, by submitting his licence for endorsement with the prescribed number of penalty points. The constable remains able to report for prosecution instead of issuing a fixed penalty notice, if in any particular case he considers that more appropriate, and the driver remains free to opt for prosecution rather than pay the fixed penalty.
	The provisions of the system are set out in Part III of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, as amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991. Under section 54(3)(b) of the Act, a police constable can offer a fixed penalty only when he is satisfied that the driver, if prosecuted and convicted, would not be liable to disqualification for exceeding the permitted number of penalty points. Should a fixed penalty notice be mistakenly issued in contravention of section 54(3)(b), section 61 of the Act applies. This provides that when the driver delivers his licence for penalty point endorsement and it appears to the fixed penalty clerk that conviction would involve liability to disqualification, the licence must not be endorsed. Instead, it will be returned to the police with a view to the driver's prosecution.
	The courts are involved only where a driver is prosecuted. When cases come to court and there is a conviction, the magistrates will decide the appropriate penalty in each case in accordance with its particular circumstances. Guidelines from the Magistrates Association suggest starting points for sentences, which can be increased or decreased depending on the means of the offender and on any mitigating or aggravating features in individual cases.

Immigration Appeal Tribunal

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, what the backlog at the (a) Immigration Tribunal and (b) Immigration Appeal Tribunal is.

David Lammy: At the end of May 2003 the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) was dealing with 24,065 outstanding Adjudicator appeals, 5,018 outstanding leave to appeal applications and 4,772 outstanding substantive Immigration Appeal Tribunal (IAT) appeals. This covers all asylum and immigration (including visit visas) work. There is no backlog at Adjudicator level, but there are currently listing backlogs at the IAT. Estimates indicate that 1,200 applications and 3,000 appeals may be classified as backlogged.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Graham Allen: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, when the Lord Chancellor intends to bring forward proposals for an Independent Judicial Appointments Commission.

Christopher Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on 19 June 2003, Official Report, column 19WS.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, what plans he has to establish a judicial appointments commission; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on 19 June 2003, Official Report, column 19WS.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Oliver Heald: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the appointment of (a) Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, (b) Lord Justices of Appeal, (c) High Court judges, (d) circuit judges, (e) district judges, (f) magistrates and (g) recorders as a result of the exercise of the powers of the Lord Chancellor by the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, pending the proposed creation of a judicial appointments commission.

Christopher Leslie: My hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor will continue to carry out all the responsibilities of the office of the Lord Chancellor, including in relating to judicial appointments until a new Judicial Appointments Commission is established.

Judicial Appointments Commission

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  if the Secretary of State will ensure that there is a representative group of non-lawyers on a Judicial Appointments Commission;
	(2)  whether a Judicial Appointments Commission will assume responsibility for the training and continuing education of judges;
	(3)  whether the Judicial Appointments Commission will assume responsibility for judicial discipline;
	(4)  whether the Judicial Appointments Commission will become responsible for the appointment of (a) lay and (b) professional magistrates;
	(5)  what measures the Secretary of State will take to ensure that the judiciary becomes more representative of society.

Christopher Leslie: I refer the hon. Member for Redcar to the statement I made on 19 June 2003, Official Report, column 19WS. The Government have undertaken to publish a consultation paper on the arrangements for the new Judicial Appointments Commission before the summer recess. Decisions will be taken on the specific role and functions of the Commission and its composition after the consultation exercise has been completed.

Magistrates Courts

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs if she will set out for each magistrates court in Greater Manchester (a) the amount of fines levelled by each court in each of the last five years, (b) the amount of fines written off by each court and (c) the percentage of fines collected.

Christopher Leslie: Magistrates Courts Committees (MCCs) have a responsibility for the collection of a range of debts imposed by the magistrates courts and the Crown court. Debt collected includes not only fines but also fees, compensation, confiscation orders, legal aid contributions and some maintenance orders. It is not possible to separate out only fines from the total.
	Prior to 1999, the Magistrates Courts Committees were not asked as part of their data collection to provide full information on the amounts imposed or paid. The national data for the period 1996–98 for amounts 'written off' was collected only for the last quarter of each calendar year.
	The figures for the magistrates courts areas within Greater Manchester are contained in the table, including that for the first three quarters in 2002–03, which is currently the latest data published.
	
		Greater Manchester Magistrates Courts Committee(52)
		
			  Imposed in Quarter 4  (£) Amount written off in Quarter 4  (£) Percentage written off 
		
		
			 October to December 1998
			 Trafford 670,595 43,342 6 
			 Tameside 547,542 64,073 12 
			 Stockport 447,094 56,208 14 
			 Oldham 486,091 70,328 14 
			 North and West Greater Manchester (includes Bolton, Bury, Wigan, City of Salford, Rochdale, Middleston and Heywood) 2,957,003 649,753 22 
			 Manchester 1,782,543 701,137 39 
		
	
	(52) Information regarding debt is calculated over a rolling year and the percentages paid and written off in each area will also include amounts that were imposed in previous years.
	
		Greater Manchester Magistrates Courts Committee(53)
		
			  Imposed (£) Percentage paid Amount written off (£) Percentage written off 
		
		
			 April 1999 to March 2000 
			 Trafford 4,728,186 24 425,537 9 
			 Tameside 1,861,182 57 241,934 13 
			 Stockport 2,227,346 49 (54)— (54)— 
			 Oldham 1,106,743 101 630,844 57 
			 North and West Manchester (includes Rochdale, Wigan, Leigh and Bury) 10,727,563 60 2,467,339 23 
			 Manchester 6,035,529 49 2,172,790 36 
			  
			 April 2000 to March 2001 
			 Trafford 3,951,052 33 1,382,868 35 
			 Tameside 1,776,096 54 390,741 22 
			 Stockport 1,558,011 89 545,304 35 
			 Oldham 1,063,770 114 531,885 50 
			 North and West Manchester (includes Rochdale, Wigan, Leigh and Bury) 9,921,380 63 2,976,414 30 
			 Manchester 6,700,253 52 2,345,089 35 
			  
			 April 2001(55) to March 2002
			 Trafford 4,302,658 28 258,159 6 
			 Tameside 1,334,217 71 400,265 30 
			 Stockport 1,381,183 92 414,355 30 
			 Oldham 1,028,870 106 473,280 46 
			 Salford 931,028 123 484,135 52 
			 Bolton 1,448,566 97 260,742 18 
			 Wigan (includes Bury, Leigh and Rochdale) 6,329,356 54 1,329,165 21 
			 Manchester 6,278,014 52 2,511,206 40 
			  
			 April 2002 to December 2002(56)
			 Trafford 2,401,929 40 1,925,967 (57)80 
			 Tameside 894,495 74 271,097 30 
			 Stockport 1,178,904 83 311,214 26 
			 Oldham 866,642 90 235,192 27 
			 Salford 906,237 93 292,542 32 
			 Bolton 1,331,538 81 277,014 21 
			 Wigan (includes Bury, Leigh and Rochdale 3,417,731 72 918,541 27 
			 Manchester 5,973.128 49 2,776,921 46 
		
	
	(53) Information regarding debt is calculated over a rolling year and the percentages paid and written off in each area will also include amounts that were imposed in previous years.
	(54) Data not available.
	(55) Following the amalgamation in April 2001 of 73 MCCs into 42 there was a change of areas making up Greater Manchester Magistrates Court Committee.
	(56) Only three quarters data are currently available for the 2002–03 financial year.
	(57) During 2002, as part of on-going performance management, Trafford magistrates court have been running an initiative to bring to a conclusion old accounts by writing off impositions held on the system where defendants cannot be traced. When these defendants reappear the debt is then written back for collection purposes.

Office for the Supervision of Solicitors

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs what his latest assessment is of the effectiveness of the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors.

David Lammy: There is some evidence of improvements at the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS). During 2002 OSS met:
	all the turnaround targets for the resolution of compensation fund application complaints;
	two out of four turnaround targets for the resolution of service and conduct complaints;
	one out of three turnaround targets for the resolution of remuneration certificate complaints; and
	the Legal Services Ombudsman (LSO) was satisfied in 67 per cent. of cases dealt with by the OSS, up 10 per cent. on the previous year.
	The OSS has produced robust management information that shows how they intend to build on their performance over the next 3 years in order to reach and exceed acceptable standards overall. Also, the OSS are undertaking an exercise to bench-mark their complaints handling schemes against the best in the services sector to identify an objective standard by which to measure performance.
	Additionally, the Law Society have accepted in principle, 11 wide-ranging recommendations to improve complaints handling by their Independent Commissioner, Sir Stephen Lander.
	However, we continue to have concerns about the age profile of cases and about the performance of the OSS in recent months. We will monitor closely the measures undertaken by the OSS to ensure they deliver real benefits to consumers.

Pro Bono Work

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, what action he is taking to promote pro bono work in the legal profession; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has a seat on the Attorney General's National Pro Bono Co-ordinating Committee, whose aims are to increase awareness of pro bono work in the legal professions and beyond and to encourage increased participation.
	The DCA also provides the Committee with secretarial support. We provide 50 per cent. of the funding (in partnership with the Active Community Unit of the Home Office) for the LawWorks project an initiative between the Solicitors Pro Bono Group, the Law Centres Federation and the Bar Pro Bono Unit. This amounts to £345,000 over three years. The initiative aims to create 2,000 new volunteering opportunities by June 2004 and provide public access to electronic pro bono advice.

Supreme Court/Judicial Appointments Commission

Graham Allen: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, what consultation the Lord Chancellor will undertake on the creation of (a) a Supreme Court and (b) a Judicial Appointments Commission.

Christopher Leslie: I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on 19 June 2003, Official Report, column 19WS.

Website Access

Vincent Cable: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the actions the Department (a) has taken and (b) is taking to ensure that the websites of the Department, its Agencies and non-departmental public bodies are accessible to partially sighted and blind people; and if she will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: My Department has done much recently to ensure that its major sites are accessible to partially sighted and blind people, although in some areas, further improvements need to be implemented. The table that shows what each website has done, and intends to do, to improve accessibility has been placed in the Library.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Bogus Ground Rent

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to protect leaseholders from bogus ground rent charges.

Nick Raynsford: The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, which contains wide-ranging provisions to improve leaseholders rights, includes provisions that will protect leaseholders from ground rent abuses. These provide that a leaseholder will not be liable to pay ground rent unless the landlord has sent a written demand in a prescribed format. They also provide that the landlord cannot take forfeiture action unless a breach of the lease has been admitted, or determined by a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. In addition, a landlord cannot take forfeiture action for amounts which are less than a sum to be prescribed by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister—unless the amount has been outstanding for more than a prescribed period. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister aims to bring these provisions into force in early 2004.

Key Workers Initiative

David Ruffley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) nurses, (b) teachers and (c) social workers have benefited from the key worker initiative in (i) the Bury St Edmunds constituency and (ii) Suffolk.

Keith Hill: No key workers have benefited from the Starter Home Initiative in Bury-St-Edmunds or other areas of Suffolk. The Starter Home Initiative is helping key workers to buy their first homes in areas where high house prices are undermining recruitment and retention. Funding was allocated via two competitive bidding rounds. No allocations of Starter Home Initiative funding were made to assist key workers in Suffolk.

Climate Change

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from Dr. Richard Grove of the University of Sussex in relation to climate change and the evidence provided by the preservation of Sumerian tablets.

Phil Hope: The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not aware of any such representations having been made to this Office.

Council Tax

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes there will be in the precepting powers via the council tax if regional chambers become elected regional assemblies.

Nick Raynsford: The voluntary regional chambers have no council tax precepting powers.
	Elected regional assemblies will be completely new directly elected bodies with additional important regional responsibilities.
	Chapter 5 of our 2002 White Paper, "Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions" (Cm 5511), set out the funding arrangements for elected assemblies. Elected assemblies will have a power to precept on the council tax in their region to fund programme expenditure and running costs. They will be accountable to their taxpayers and voters for the precepts that they set, and will also be subject to a capping regime.

Councillors' Allowances

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make it a requirement for local authorities to make an annual return to him giving details of the total amount paid in allowances to councillors; and if he will publish annually a list showing how much is paid in total to councillors in each local authority area.

Nick Raynsford: No. Each local authority, following advice from its independent panel, determines its own scheme of allowances and is directly accountable for this to its own electorate. Local authorities are thus required to publish information locally, both about the scheme of allowances and the amounts paid to each individual councillor.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to ensuring that local authorities are accountable to their communities and is also committed to minimising the burden of unnecessary red tape and regulation on local authorities.

Departmental Report

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of the publication of the 2001 departmental report.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created following the Machinery of Government changes on 29 May 2002.
	The first Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Annual Report was published on 16 May 2003.

Euro

Norman Lamb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he received the Treasury documents relating to the five economic tests and the 18 background studies; what discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues on the tests since receipt of the documents; when he expects to complete his analysis of the documents; and what representations (a) he and (b) departmental officials will make to other Departments before a decision is reached on the economic tests.

Yvette Cooper: The Treasury's 18 supporting studies on EMU were sent to Cabinet Ministers on 16 May 2003. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Chancellor held meetings with Cabinet Members. There was an initial discussion at Cabinet on 22 May 2003, followed by a special Cabinet meeting on 5 June 2003. The Chancellor made a statement to the House of Commons on 9 June 2003.

Fire Service College

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to publish the Task Group's report into the future of the Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects to publish the Task Group's report at the end of the month.

House Prices

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average house price was in (a) London, (b) the South East, (c) the South West and (d) the South of England in each financial year since 1995–96.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's estimates of average property prices by financial year in the Government Office Regions of London, the South East and the South West are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  London South east South west 
		
		
			 1995–96 88,256 83,654 66,120 
			 1996–97 97,152 89,972 69,148 
			 1997–98 109,237 100,249 76,580 
			 1998–99 129,709 116,294 84,796 
			 1999–2000 158,171 128,115 94,822 
			 2000–01 178,886 150,551 109,691 
			 2001–02 187,976 163,839 121,666 
			 2002–03 212,359 193,680 153,717 
		
	
	Note:
	The "South of England" is not a recognised administrative area. (Hampshire and Sussex are in the south east region; Dorset is in the south west region).
	Source:
	Survey of Mortgage Lenders

Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) people were on the housing waiting list, (b) priority homelessness acceptances there were and (c) units of temporary housing there were in each local authority area in the South-East Region in each year since 1997.

Keith Hill: Local authorities annually report the numbers of households on their housing register (excluding tenants awaiting a transfer) as at 1 April. Their activities under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Acts are reported on quarterly returns and include the number of households accepted as homeless and in priority need during the quarter, along with the number in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter. A summary of this information is available in the Library in the Library of the House.
	No information is collected about the number of temporary housing dwellings available to local authorities. Information on the number of households on local authority housing registers at 1 April 2003 will be collated.

Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to increase housing investment in the South-East areas outside the designated growth areas in the next Comprehensive Spending Review in 2004.

Keith Hill: Housing Investment plans for the period covered by the Spending Review 2004 will be determined in the context of that Spending Review.

Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will respond to the Eighth Report of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee on Planning for Sustainable Communities in the South-East, Session 2002–03, HC 77-I, with particular regard to the recommendation that funding for affordable housing should not be reduced in south-east areas outside the designated growth areas, that these areas should secure a fair share of any new funds that are available, and that extra funds should be concentrated in areas where needs and demands are greatest.

Keith Hill: The Government's response to the Select Committee report on Sustainable Communities will be published in the next couple of weeks. Each recommendation will be answered individually.

Housing

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many key workers in West Sussex have benefited from the key worker housing scheme since its inception, broken down by employment category.

Keith Hill: As at the end of May 2003, 47 key workers in West Sussex have been helped to purchase homes under the Starter Home Initiative. The table breaks down the figure by local authority and by key worker group.
	
		
			  Number of Key Workers Assisted 
			 LocalAuthority Nurses/health workers Teachers Police Others 
		
		
			 Adur 0 0 1 0 
			 Chichester 12 1 0 1 
			 Crawley 7 4 0 0 
			 Horsham 1 7 0 0 
			 Mid Sussex 8 4 0 0 
			 Worthing 0 0 1 0 
			 Total 28 16 2 1 
		
	
	Notes:Other key workers being helped under the Starter Home Initiative are social workers, care workers, fire fighters, transport workers and occupational therapists.

Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has had from the National Housing Federation regarding the supply of affordable social housing in the south-east region; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not had any recent representations from the National Housing Federation (NHF) about the supply of affordable housing in the south-east.
	The NHF is an important partner in the region, and is represented on the Regional Housing Board in a non-executive capacity. There is regular dialogue between my officials at the Government Office for the South East and the NHF on affordable housing and other housing and regeneration issues, and the NHF also plays an active role within the Regional Housing Forum.
	The NHF in the south-east led a working group on affordable housing for the last Regional Housing Statement, which was published in February 2002, and have also been actively involved in working towards the new Regional Housing Strategy to be published in July 2003. It is expected that the NHF will make a full response to the consultation on the first draft of the strategy, which ends on 7 July 2003, and this is likely to include comments on affordable housing in the region.

Housing

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the deposited draft Lancashire Structure Plan and its housing requirements take precedence over (a) the adopted Structure Plan and (b) the Lancaster District Local Plan.

Keith Hill: In general, planning applications should be determined in accordance with adopted plans. Account can be taken of policies in emerging development plans, with the weight to be attached to them being a matter for the decision maker, depending upon the stage reached in the plan preparation process and subject always to the power of the courts in the event of a challenge.

Housing

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what powers Lancaster City Council has to give planning permission for new developments for housing purposes on (a) greenfield sites before 2006 and (b) brownfield sites.

Keith Hill: Development plans form the framework within which decisions on proposals for development are taken. It is therefore important that plans are kept up to date and properly reflect national and regional policy guidance.
	Planning Policy Guidance Note 3, "Housing" (PPG3), explains that local planning authorities should revise their plans to take account of the guidance set out in PPG3, and that they should seek to do so as quickly as possible by incorporating revised policies and proposals either in replacement plans or by alteration of existing housing policies. In considering planning applications for housing development in the interim, before development plans can be reviewed, local authorities should have regard to the policy contained in PPG3 as a material consideration which may supersede the policies in their plan.
	Proposals to develop any greenfield land for housing which, in themselves or as part of a wider but contiguous allocation for housing, relate to a site of five hectares or more, or comprise 150 dwellings or more regardless of size of site, and which the local planning authority resolves to approve, should be notified to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister before permission is granted. The notification provides an opportunity to check general compliance with the guidance set out in PPG3, and to consider whether an application should be called in for his own determination.

Housing

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable houses have been built in each year since 1997 in the Romsey constituency; if he will list each development and the cost; and if he will make a statement on plans for the future.

Keith Hill: 154 Affordable houses have been built in the Romsey Constituency during the period 1997 to 2003, with another 78 planned for 2004–05. Details are tabled together with site details and Grant cost.
	The "Sustainable Communities: building for the future" document published in February 2003 set out the Government's future housing plans. The housing challenges addressed within the document and through the programme of activity vary across the regions. The Regional assemblies (Preparation) Act 2003 will allow devolution of responsibility for housing to regions that opt for Elected Regional Assemblies. Steps have already been taken to ensure that housing policies can be better integrated with planning and economic strategies at a regional level, to ensure sustainable communities.
	Regional Housing Boards have been set up in each region to ensure delivery of policies and they are charged with producing a Regional Housing Strategy as a basis for advice to Ministers on strategic housing investment priorities in the region.
	Each region has been asked, by July 2003, to have a Regional Housing Strategy at least in outline form and be in a position to make recommendations on the allocation of resources for 2004–05 and 2005–06. In the south east region a draft regional housing strategy has recently been widely distributed as a consultation document with comments requested by the end of June 2003.
	
		Affordable housing completions 1997–2003Romsey constituency (within Test Valley borough council)
		
			 Year/Scheme Number of units Grant cost (£) 
		
		
			 1997   
			 31 Footner Close, Romsey 1 — 
			 11 Norris Close, Romsey 1 — 
			 Total 2 72,000 
			 1998   
			 5 Winchester Court, Romsey 1 — 
			 6 Winchester Court, Romsey 1 — 
			 25 Winchester Court, Romsey 1 — 
			 32 Winchester Court, Romsey 1 — 
			 7 Cherville Court, Romsey 1 — 
			 7 Selborne Court, Romsey — — 
			 20 Selborne Court, Romsey — — 
			 3 Selborne Court, Romsey — — 
			 4 Selborne Court, Romsey — — 
			 3 Winchester Court, Romsey — — 
			 29 Winchester Court, Romsey — — 
			 9 Feltham Close, Romsey 1 — 
			 Thistle Road, Valley Park 23 — 
			 Cedar View, East Tytherley 8 — 
			 Total 43 870,688 
			 1999   
			 Alexander Close, Houghton 8 — 
			 52 Woodley Close, Romsey 1 — 
			 8 Stapleford Close, Romsey 1 — 
			 24 Footner Close 1 — 
			 Total 11 257,341 
			 2000   
			 Bell Street, Romsey 6 — 
			 Birdfield, Valley Park 46 — 
			 Chervil Close, Valley Park 27 — 
			 Total 79 1,904,324 
			 2001   
			 38 Winchester Road, Romsey 5 — 
			 11 Proctor Drive, North Baddesley 1 — 
			 157 Fleming Avenue, North Baddesley 1 — 
			 149 Fleming Avenue, North Baddesley 1 — 
			 Total 8 405,184 
			 2002   
			 39 Scott Close, Kings Somborne 1 — 
			 47 Woodley Close, Romsey 1 — 
			 Total 2 136,471 
			 2003   
			 Buttons Road, Romsey 9 — 
			 Total 9 190,758 
			 2004–05   
			 Eldon Road, Kings Somborne 8 — 
			 Borden, North Baddesley 69 — 
			 Total 78 2,750,654 
			 Grand total 232 6,587,420

Housing

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to tackle housing problems in rural areas related to affordability.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects over 5,000 homes to be approved in small rural settlements alone between 2003–04 and 2005–06. As announced in the Sustainable Communities Plan, the Housing Corporation's rural target to approve a total of 3,500 affordable homes for both low-cost rent and ownership over the years 2004–05 and 2005–06 in settlements with fewer than 3,000 people is being increased. This builds on the Rural White Paper commitment for the Housing Corporation to approve 1,600 homes in small settlements annually by 2003–04, double the number in 2000–01. Under the new regional arrangements, it will be for Regional Housing Boards to consider rural housing needs in advising on the allocation of resources.
	In January, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister made it easier for local authority landlords to restrict resales of homes in rural areas originally sold under the Right to Buy scheme. A buyer who wants to resell must either:
	offer the property back to the landlord (if he wants to do so within 10 years); or
	resell only to someone who has lived or worked locally for at least three years.

Local Authority Pension Schemes

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much in percentage terms local authority expenditure will have to rise to meet the actuarial review in 2004 of all pensions schemes for which they are responsible.

Phil Hope: The next actuarial valuation exercise of Local Government Pension Scheme pension funds takes place, as required by the Scheme's governing regulations, on 31 March 2004. The outcomes of that exercise will, therefore, not be known until later in the financial year 2004–05. No actual expenditure consequences for contributing employers can come into effect until 1 April 2005 at the earliest.

Ministerial Correspondence Unit

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff have been employed in the Ministerial Correspondence Unit of the Department in each of the last two years.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. As at 1 April 2003, 12 permanent full-time equivalent members of staff were in post in the Ministerial Correspondence Unit within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. A further 9.5 casual appointments were also employed on a full-time basis.

Planning

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  when it is planned that county councils will relinquish their strategic planning role; and whether there will be a changeover period;
	(2)  when it is planned that local planning authorities will take over county council's strategic planning functions; and whether there will be a changeover period.

Keith Hill: The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill does not provide for local planning authorities to take over the county council's strategic planning role. The abolition of structure plans as provided for by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill does not mean that county councils will no longer have any strategic planning role in the reformed system. They have continuing and important service delivery responsibilities, which need to be reflected in the new spatial regional and local plans as well as retaining their minerals and waste planning responsibilities. They will be statutory consultees in relation to both levels of plan-making, can be partners in the production of joint local development documents under the Bill and can be appointed as agents of the regional planning bodies as appropriate in the exercise of the duties as set out in the Bill.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has issued transitional guidance in the form of supplementary planning guidance to PPG11. This guidance provides for structure plans to be saved for a period of three years, provided they have reached deposit by commencement of the Act or adoption, whichever is later.

Planning

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when it is planned that regional planning bodies should convert regional planning guidance to regional spatial strategies; and whether there will be a changeover period.

Keith Hill: On commencement of Part 1 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will prescribe which regional planning guidance should become regional spatial strategies. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will consult on the relevant draft regulations. There is no need for a changeover period.

Public Officials

Robert Key: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what legislation (a) prohibits and (b) restricts the publication of the remuneration of public officials in (i) central Government, (ii) Government agencies, (iii) non-departmental public bodies, (iv) local government and (v) the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 place restrictions on the disclosure of personal data. Publication of the remuneration of public officials for whom the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible would, therefore, be affected by this Act. Paragraph 12 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information also exempts personal information about an individual from the commitment to provide information under the Code. Paragraph 8 exempts personnel records (which would include details of remuneration) of employees of public authorities.

Regional Funding

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidelines are issued to local authorities on how much money they contribute to their region; what guidelines are issued to prevent public money being spent to promote regional referenda; what estimate he has made of the amount of council tax supplement that will be required to fund the eight regions in each of the next three years; and whether these amounts will be subject to capping.

Nick Raynsford: The Government have not issued guidelines on the financial relationship between local authorities and regional chambers or other regional bodies. Use of local authority subscriptions to fund regional chambers is a matter for the parties concerned and the Government have made no estimate of the amounts involved. Local authorities need to have regard to the terms of the Code of Practice for Local Government Publicity, which my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has issued under section 4 of the Local Government Act 1986.
	The funding agreement letter from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the regional chambers makes it clear that the Chambers Fund cannot be used to advocate a particular outcome to a referendum on elected regional assemblies.

Regional Funding

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much money will be allocated to each of the regions from (a) the Chancellor's Fund and (b) the Regional Planning and the Planning Delivery Grant Body money in each of the next three years; what guidelines have been laid down as to how this money is to be spent; and whether it can be varied between different cost headings.

Keith Hill: There is no Chancellor's Fund for the English regions. No decisions have yet been taken on future allocations of the planning delivery grant to regional planning bodies. For 2004/05, the distribution of the further £6 million regional planning moneys is likely to be on the same basis as the allocations for the current financial year but has yet to be discussed with the regional planning bodies. The moneys allocated for this year should be drawn down against a business plan identifying planning objectives in accordance with which moneys can be varied between different cost headings.

Regional Planning Bodies

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 21 May 2003, Official Report, column 877W, under what statute English Regional Chambers have been designated as Regional Planning Bodies; what is intended by the condition provided they operate in a sufficiently inclusive way; who will be consulted on changes from Regional Planning Guidance to Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS); what community involvement there will be; and what right of appeal consultees will have over the content of the RSS.

Keith Hill: All the English Regional Chambers have decided to take on regional planning responsibilities. Under clause 2 of the new Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill it is proposed that my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister should be able to give directions recognising such regional planning bodies. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's policy as set out in the Planning Green Paper, "Planning: delivering a fundamental change", published in December 2001, is that these bodies should be representative of key regional interests and not just local authorities. There will be public consultation on the draft regulations prescribing which regional planning guidance should become regional spatial strategies (RSSs). Future revisions to RSSs will be subject to extensive public consultation and engagement with the safeguard of an examination in public. Anybody who is aggrieved by a draft RSS revision will be able to make representations to my right hon. the Deputy Prime Minister.

Seller's Pack

Claire Ward: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made on the introduction of a seller's pack.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published for consultation on 31 March 2003 the draft Housing Bill, Part 5 of which contains provisions for the introduction of mandatory home information packs throughout England and Wales. The draft Bill is currently before the Select Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for pre-legislative scrutiny. It is planned to introduce the Bill as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also published on 31 March consultation papers on the contents of the home information pack and on the application of the pack to homes in low value low demand areas.

Special Advisers

John Bercow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the salary bill was for special advisers in his Department in 2002–03; and what it is expected to be in 2003–04.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley South on 28 April 2003, Official Report, column 45W.

Sustainable Communities Plan

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the factors which underlay the decisions to designate certain areas as South-East Growth Areas in the Sustainable Communities Plan.

Keith Hill: In London and the south-east housing demand continues to outstrip supply. Delivery of annual rates in Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) for the 15 years from 2001 to 2016 would provide for 930 thousand households. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's latest household projections, published in October 1999, show that in the RPG9 area the number of additional households likely to form over these years is 1.1 million.
	In 2001 RPG9 identified four areas for potential housing growth; Ashford, the Thames Gateway, Milton Keynes and South Midlands, and the London-Stansted-Cambridge corridor. These areas were chosen as all were considered to have the potential to accommodate significant further growth, within sustainable communities, and the growth area studies were commissioned to evaluate this. The additional growth in these areas will make better use of land and will reduce the amount of greenfield land required for future growth.

Travellers

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning appeals affecting travellers have been allowed in each year from 1997.

Keith Hill: Information is not held in the form requested. However, the planning Inspectorates' database shows that the number of planning appeals involving Gypsy sites allowed since 1997 in England were as follows:
	
		Gypsy Sites
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997 24 
			 1998 20 
			 1999 22 
			 2000 29 
			 2001 28 
			 2002 29

Travellers

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to reduce the number of illegal traveller encampments.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in conjunction with the Home Office, will shortly publish new joint guidance on managing unauthorised camping, which will consist of detailed operational guidance, and the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and the police for taking action.

Travellers

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what circumstances travellers can be granted planning permission when it would be denied to non-travellers.

Keith Hill: Planning applications and appeals, whether from Gypsies and Travellers or members of the settled community, are determined in accordance with the development plan, taking account of material considerations. Each case is considered on its own merits.